My Enemy's Enemy
by Kelon
Summary: Crossover story: Xander [BtVS] leaves for his roadtrip after graduation. When he crosses paths with a vampire archon in a small town in North Carolina, loyalties are tested, truths revealed and tough choices made. Is the enemy of your enemy a friend?
1. Chapter 1

Title : My Enemy's Enemy

Author : Kelon

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners... none of which are me. I simply borrow them for my entertainment.

Summary: Xander leaves for his roadtrip after graduation (Season 3). When he crosses path with a vampire archon in a small town in North Carolina, loyalties are tested, truths revealed and tough choices made. Is everything he believed to be true a lie? And is the enemy of your enemy a friend?

Warning : Multiple crossovers ahead.

Credits: Tenhawk's Journeyverse acted as a loose inspiration for the concept behind parts of the story. If anyone knows how to write crossovers, Tenhawk is it. I borrowed some of his theories in regard to the origin of Xander's fighting abilities.

Dedicated to Kenshiiro, Ryzel and the rest of the gang from Shadows of Yamabushi, the best guild there ever was or will be. Miss you guys. Onward to ownage! And to ADR for inspiring me to write in the first place and for just being who you are. It means the world to me.

Rating: PG-13 to R for cursing, violence, non-graphic romance and vampiric horror content.

Author's notes: Please be aware that several events/conversations/settings have been modified from their originally form as shown in the various TV shows, movies or books to better fit the story. This is my first attempt at fan fiction, and I appreciate all feedback. Please refrain from flames, though.

* * *

**_Interstate 17, North Carolina; August 16th, 1999, 10:12 PM_**

Alexander "Xander" Harris was content. For the first time in a long time he simply enjoyed the moment, without feeling like Armageddon loomed around the corner ready to strike. After graduating from high school (and blowing up the school in the process), Xander needed to get away from it all. Away from the demons and vampires. Away from his drunken parents that didn't care about him. Away from the person he loved so much but that did not love him back.

_Buffy,_ Xander thought sadly. _I wonder how she's doing._

The night of graduation Xander made the decision to see something new and leave his old life behind. At least for some time. In all of his 17 years he had never left the state of California. His parents weren't exactly the travelling type, and aside from going to Disneyland with his uncle Rori or going on smaller trips with Willow and her family, he didn't get to do it on his own. Until now. He'd packed two bags of clothes, thrown them in the trunk of his car and headed east.

Xander smiled as he reflected back on what he had seen. Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the Mississippi, Chicago, Niagara Falls, New York.

_I never thought my car would make it that far. Then again, I never really thought I could leave in the first place._

Even though he tried to get away from his past life, he wasn't stupid enough to be careless. He looked down at the stake that was lying in the passenger seat. He had to use it once since leaving Sunnydale. _I knew New York was a crazy place, but that stupid bitch really thought that throwing on some designer clothes would be enough to not look suspiciously dead. Hello? When your hands are so cold that it feels like touching an ice block, then you are really stupid if you think people won't notice. Next time, wear some damn gloves! Oh right, there won't be a next time for that one, _Xander thought with a smile on his face.

One thing about this incident was really disturbing to Xander, though. The stake had not killed her. She had a look of shock on her face when he had plunged it into her heart in that filthy back alley at Chelsea Piers. But then nothing happened. She simply froze in mid-movement, vamped out with her mouth open and her fangs showing. It was almost surreal.

Xander grinned. _She might not have burst into a cloud of dust, but she didn't handle it too well when I set her clothes on fire. _Within a minute her complete body had been consumed by the flames, and the slightly blackened stake surrounded by a pile of ash was all the evidence that was left of her.

_I wonder if Giles has some answers for me already why she did not simply burst into a cloud of dust. _The watcher had been very concerned when Xander called him and told him about it. In all the years in Sunnydale, that had never happened, and Buffy would be in for a big surprise and a lot of trouble if that changed. _I should call him when I take a break to find out._

The sun had set two hours ago, and Xander was becoming tired and hungry. _Time to get off the highway, get some grub, call Sunnydale and catch some sleep afterwards. _

Xander saw a sign proclaiming the next exit to be Tree Hill, NC, 2 miles down the road. _That'll do just fine._ A couple of minutes later he saw the exit come up and he left the road.

* * *

**_Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 16th, 1999, 10:29 PM_**

Peyton was sitting in her car in front of a green traffic light waiting for it to turn red. Lucas ran over and stopped at the passenger's door.

"Why do you do this?" he asked her with a mixture of concern and annoyance apparent in his voice. When Peyton continued to stare ahead and didn't answer him, he jumped into the car and sat down.

"If I were you, I'd get back out now."

Lucas shook his head. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

The light turned red and Peyton stepped on the gas, running the light. Lucas felt a sense of panic rising in him, and his eyes flicked back and forth between Peyton and the street ahead of them. "Come on! Slow down Peyton!" His voice became louder and more agitated. "Come on! Slow the car down! Peyton? Slow the car down!"

Peyton still kept going, her eyes looking straight ahead, but she started to speak in a soft voice. "She was driving to school to pick me up. She was late, so she ran a red light. It was one light at the wrong split second, and it ended it for her."

The car stopped, and Peyton turned to look at Lucas for the first time, pain and sadness all over her face and in her eyes. "My mom ran one red light. I run them all the time and nothing happens. It's not fair."

Lucas swallowed the lump in his throat. _So this is it. This is what she's been hiding all the time._ He felt bad for her, and wished he could find some words to give her comfort. But the words wouldn't come, and all he could think of to say was, "No, it's not."

Peyton averted her gaze and said, "You can get out now."

Lucas saw the change in her posture. He didn't want to push her, but he also needed her to know that he was there for her. "Or I could stay if you want."

She shook her head. "No. You can't." Her voice made it clear that she meant it. Lucas sighed and, with one last look at Peyton, got out of the car.

* * *

Xander had entered the town of Tree Hill a few minutes ago and was cruising for an open diner. The town, from what he had seen so far, was small and quiet, the kind of town where everybody knew everybody, and where nothing big happened.

He leaned forward and turned on the radio to get some distraction from his empty stomach.

"In today's top news story, police is still looking for the killers of Eric Draven and an unidentified woman believed to be Draven's fiancée, Shelly. Draven was a recent recruit to the THPD and only turned 23 last week. Sources close to the investigation and speaking on condition of anonymity revealed that both bodies were found in Draven's apartment on Jackson Street almost a week ago, and that the killers acted with extreme brutality.

The police commissioner was not available for comment, however, a representative denied any relation of the murders with the current unrest that has swept over the East Coast of the United States for the past couple of weeks, as large-scale drug organizations are seemingly fighting over control in the bloodiest outbreak of violence in many years, leaving dozens of law-enforcement officers and civilian bystanders dead in their wake.

The police department asks all citizens to keep their doors locked, windows shut and to report any suspicious activity at once."

"Shit, so much for nice and quiet." Xander cursed under his breath. _Might not be the best idea to sleep in the car with some murderers on the lose. Then again, I don't have the money to afford anything else._ Xander sighed.

He had heard about the outbreak of violence. It had all started in Atlanta a few weeks ago, and spread northeast from there. It was mainly concentrated in the larger cities, though, and Xander wasn't overly concerned for his own safety while travelling. After three years of fighting demons and vampires on top of the hell mouth in Sunnydale, he knew how to spot trouble, and how to avoid it if he had to.

And then there was the fact that he was far from the Zeppo his friends thought him to be. They all believed him to be the normal one, and needing protection. In a fight, Buffy considered him more of a liability than an asset, and she tried to only involve him when she had no other choice.

_Maybe I was like that in the beginning, but I am not anymore. _Xander mentally snorted. _I haven't been for quite a while, to be exact,_ he thought to himself, as the memories came rushing back to him and his face briefly contorted with the horror of the experience.

After he got possessed with the soldier's spirit during Ethan Raines' spell on Halloween, he somehow kept the man's memories. From one day to the other, Xander suddenly knew how to fight hand-to-hand, use a wide arrangement of weapons and explosives and survive in hostile environment. Some skills only seemed to surface when he was under stress or in danger, almost like that part of his brain took over for him. Others he freely remembered. And some memories Xander just wished he was able to forget.

The nightmares had started a few days after Halloween. Xander saw himself on battlefields, crawling through the jungle or underground tunnels of the Vietcong. Death was all around him. Friends, enemies… It didn't matter. They died, either by his hand or their own actions. He saw people stepping on mines or burning to death after being hit with a flamethrower. He witnessed people die every night that closed his eyes, and he just couldn't take it.

But he fought his way through, because he was willing to pay that price in exchange for the ability to help Buffy and his friends. If this was what he had to endure to keep them safe, then he'd take it, with no regrets. Xander had never told anyone about the aftermath of the possession, and he was good enough to hide his insomnia. Neither his friends nor Giles had any idea of how Xander changed. There was no need for that, in his mind. He'd simply do his part in the fights that were sure to come, watching their backs and making sure the good guys walked away victorious.

But they wouldn't let him. They insisted that he stayed out of it, Buffy being the most vocal about it. He still could remember the conversation he overheard between Buffy and Willow.

Flashback

"So, Buffy, Scooby's going on patrol tonight?"

"Yeah, Willow, but don't tell Xand, okay?"

"Why not?", Willow protested. "He's part of the group, too, isn't he?"

"He is, he is.", Buffy hesitated slightly. "But he's just a normal guy, and I don't want him to get hurt. I can't lose him, Willow. And you know how he is in a fight." Buffy laughed lighty, which nearly broke Xander's heart. "I can't watch him and do my job, but I don't want to hurt his feelings either. I think it would be best if we just make sure he is safe, you know?"

Xander had waited for Willow, his best friend since kindergarten, to stand up for him. To say that Buffy was wrong.

"I think you are right, Buffy. I'll meet you and Giles in the library at 7 then."

End of Flashback

That was part of the reason why he left Sunnydale. Had he not led the students' attack on Mayor Wilkins? Who had organized and set up the explosives needed to blow him and the whole school to hell and back? He had saved them more times than they'd ever know. He had even saved Buffy without ever telling her. The night Angelus came to the hospital to kill her. It was him who stopped the bastard. But no matter what he did, no matter how much he tried to help and be there for her, she never even considered him as more than a Xander-shaped friend. And it hurt more than he wanted to admit.

After the mayor had been defeated, Buffy was running after Angel. She didn't come to him, she didn't even ask how he was doing. Dead boy was once again the center of the universe. That was the final straw for Xander. He felt like Sunnydale and everything in it suffocated him, and all he could do was leave.

Xander spotted a well-lit sign down the street past the next intersection reading Jeff's Diner, and the prospect of a burger with frites pushed his darker thoughts aside for the moment.

"And now to local sports. The Ravens basketball team continued with their winning streak on Friday by defeating the Eastbrook Tigers 72-56. The Scott brothers dominated both on the offense, as well as, the defense, scoring a combined 54 points, with 14 assists, 5 steals and 8 blocks…"

As Xander approached the intersection, the lights turned green, and he sped up his car, searching for the entrance to the diner's parking lot.

* * *

Peyton gave Lucas one last look before staring straight ahead at the traffic light. Lucas watched her from the sidewalk, with a mixture of concern and compassion displaying on his face as he saw Peyton gripping the stirring wheel tightly and playing with the gas.

He looked down the deserted road and wondered if getting out of the car was the right thing to do. _She's in no condition to drive, maybe if I get back into the car she'll stop and…_ His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the traffic lights turned red and Peyton sped off.

Through the tears she wouldn't allow Lucas to see, she didn't even notice the car coming from her right at full speed, or how the driver stepped on the break while swerving out of her way, crashing into a parked car at the side of the road. She simply kept going, crying at the pain and loneliness she was feeling inside.

"Oh shit!" Lucas cursed as he ran toward the wrecked car.

* * *

The car pretty much came out of nowhere and cut him directly off.

"What the.." was all Xander cut mutter as his eyes grew wide and he stepped on the breaks, trying desperately to get out of harm's way. He narrowly missed the black car and almost felt relieved, when his car crashed straight into a parked SUV.

The impact caused the airbag to explode, and Xander's head crushed into it while his brain registered the loud noise of the crash. His car had come to an instant stop, and he was leaning on the inflated balloon for a second in the eerie silence that followed.

"FUCK?!?" Xander screamed. He looked up, and caught a glimpse of the blonde haired woman, who was speeding away without caring for the mess she had caused.

"Hey man, are you okay?" a blonde guy in a gray sweater, with a basketball tucked under his arm, asked as he approached the wrecked car.

Xander opened the door and climbed out, a little shaken up from the crash. "I'm not hurt, I think. But my car's pretty messed up." He paused for a second, looking down the road where the car that cut him off had disappeared.

"At least it's only the car. You wouldn't want to get hurt around here, Tree Hill isn't exactly famous for its' hospital. Then again, we aren't really famous for anything." the guy said with a grin.

"I'm Xander."

The guy shook the offered hand and said, "Hi, I'm Lucas. Listen, my uncle owns a garage here in town, if you want to, I can get the truck and we can bring your car there."

"Unless you can help me find the girl that cut me off, I simply can't afford to pay for the repair." Xander said, walking around the car to look at the damage more closely.

Lucas looked at Xander, unsure how to answer him. He knew it was Peyton's fault, he even had seen the whole thing. But she had her own problems right now, and he also wasn't sure where this thing that seemed to happen between them was going. Sure, it would be the right thing to admit what he had seen, but he also did not want her to be mad at him when she found out about it and possibly ruin a relationship with her.

And then there was the fact that he did not try harder to stop her. Didn't that mean he was partially to blame, as well? _I have to work this out without bringing Peyton in. Not until I talk to her, at least._

"I tell you what. I'll talk to my uncle in the morning. Keith is a good guy, if I explain to him what happened he might be able to give you a break.

"Thanks, Lucas, I appreciate that."

"Anytime, man. I'll be back with the truck in 5 minutes, it isn't far from here."

"Alright, I'm not going anywhere."

While Lucas was running off to get the truck, Xander walked around the SUV and looked at the license plate reading 'Dan the Man'. _I guess Dan whoever you are won't be happy about this, either._


	2. Chapter 2

My Enemy's Enemy – Chapter 2

Author's Notes: First of all, I wanted to thank everybody for the feedback on the first chapter through the XanderZone Yahoo group, fanfiction.net and private emails. I also need to apologize for the very long time it took me to get out part 2. In between too much work, writer's block and the development of two new web sites I simply did not manage to get any writing done. Hope to update this on a regular basis going forward, but since I write long chapters it will usually take me a few days at least. Oh yeah, had to change this to an R-rating due to violence and cursing.

And now on to the story again…

**_Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 17th, 1999, 3:32 AM EST_**

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!", Xander screamed, bolting up in the backseat of his car. He was panting heavily, and a cold sweat glistened on his forehead from the nightmare he had just awoken from. The dream was so vivid in his mind that his ears still seemed to be ringing with the explosions and he had a taste of blood in his mouth that he deep down inside knew wasn't there. _So real_, he thought to himself. _Why the hell do they have to be so real?_

He looked about and took in his environment. His wrecked car was parked outside of Keith Scott's Body Shop, where Lucas had towed him to after his accident a few hours earlier.

He liked Lucas. The guy had a nice way about him, but Xander thought there was something else, as well, something that he couldn't pinpoint just yet. They had talked for a while after dropping off the car, and Lucas had gone and gotten him a couple of sandwiches from his mom's café. Lucas had told him that he would be back in the morning before class with Keith to discuss Xander's car and to see if they could work out some kind of deal, but one look at his watch confirmed that that wouldn't be for a few more hours.

Xander sighed. _I'll never be able to go back to sleep anyway. Might as well take a walk and get to know Tree Hill a little. _He bent down to look for his shoes in the darkness when he heard a commotion outside. He looked up through the rear window and his eyes grew wide. _You gotta be fucking kidding me!_

* * *

He saw the last three of his targets a few hundred yards ahead of him as they turned another corner. One of them seemed to stop and raised a rifle in his general direction. _Good, _he thought to himself, _I am getting tired chasing these fuckers all over town. _

He stared at the street in front of him and imagined it empty. Pictures of black asphalt and dark gray sidewalks, of shadows and the occasional streetlight filled his mind, and when he looked up again a feeling of detachment from the world had crept over him. Convinced he was hidden from view he stepped out into the street from the parked car he had been kneeling behind and started walking towards his enemies.

* * *

"What the fuck happened back there? This was supposed to be a normal transport, not some God damn massacre", Carl was cursing through clenched teeth as he and his two packmates were running for their lives. They had just stopped outside a car shop, and Carl dropped down to one knee while aiming his M-16 down the street they had just moved on. Looking back over his shoulder at Darryl and Mike, he took in their bad condition and snapped, "Mike, get us some wheels to get out of this hell hole".

Mike nodded and regretted it immediately, wincing from the pain caused by his broken neck. Despite spending a lot of blood on healing the worst damage he knew it would take several nights to be fully restored, and even then it was very likely that his spine wouldn't mend perfectly straight. _There'll be hell to pay next time I run into that guy. _He looked around at the various cars that were parked outside the garage and, ignoring the ones that were in obvious need of repair, headed straight towards a Chevy Cavalier that looked acceptable.

Meanwhile, Carl was scanning the street for any sign of pursuit, while Darryl stood with his back against the wall, supporting his balance further by leaning on the handle of his broadsword. A small puddle of blood was forming on the ground where he was standing, most of it dripping down from his left arm where the hand had been cut off a few minutes earlier. Darryl felt Carl's gaze on him and returned it, giving him a weak yet defiant smile. "No worries, it's not as bad as it looks."

Carl gave him a brief nod and turned his attention back towards the street. _No, it's not as bad as it looks. It's actually worse._

* * *

When he got close his exceptional sense of hearing picked up the sounds of his targets, and a grin came over his face. He circled around the building and decided to go up to the roof to get a better view of the situation. Taking measure of the 15-foot high wall, he effortlessly jumped up and landed on his feet in one quick and graceful motion. The feeling of detachment still hovering over him he slowly walked across the roof and approached the opposite side.

Looking down he saw the three vampires he had fought with earlier. He removed the SPAS 12 combat shotgun from under his heavy leather jacket and called to the blood inside of him. His limbs filled with liquid fire as the power of the blood surged through his whole body. The world around him seemed to stagger as time slowed down and all the movements below him appeared to be in slow motion.

He took a step forward and dropped down from the roof, his reinforced combat boots aiming at the head of the vampire below him.

* * *

Darryl never realized what hit him. The combat boots connected with the top of his skull as the figure from above jumped down on him, and he was driven to the ground by a force large enough to knock him out cold.

Carl whirled around at the sound coming from his right. In the spot where Darryl had been in an instant before an imposing figure glad in black leather pants and a dark heavy biker jacket stood, aiming a shotgun straight at Carl's head. Carl saw a reflection of himself in the mirrored sunglasses his attacker was wearing. The words "Killa B" entered his mind a split second before a flash erupted from the shotgun. The magnesium round hit him square in the face from point-blank range, effectively taking his head off and ending his existence. His body never reached the ground, turning to a mixture of dust and ash instead.

By the time Mike had turned around to the sound of fighting the attacker was right in front of him, using his shotgun like a club and aiming at Mike's head. Mike managed to raise his arm before the blow connected, which had enough force to splinter the bones where it hit his elbow and sent him flying across the parking space. With a thud he connected with the wall, the impact effectively breaking his neck for the second time that night. Through the haze of pain Mike fought desperately to remain conscious. Indescribable agony shot through him as he felt himself being lifted by the neck and smashed against the wall behind him, where he was held in place dangling above the ground. His vision focused on the black man holding him there with one hand, while the other removed the pair of sunglasses and tucked them away inside the leather jacket.

"As I was saying earlier, before you and your friends so rudely interrupted me. You have been found guilty of violation of the first, third and fourth tradition of the Masquerade and of belonging to the Sabbat. You have been sentenced to the final death by Justicar Jaroslav Pascek of Clan Brujah. Have a nice fucking day!" With the last words, he reached up with his second hand and ripped off Mike's head, turning him into dust. He glanced around the once again empty parking area before taking out a cell phone, dialing a number he had to use many times in the past couple of weeks.

"This is Theo Bell. I intercepted another group heading north. short pause It's a town called Tree Hill, just off I-17. another short pause 8 kindred and 2 ghouls. pause No, that won't be necessary. I'll do the clean up myself." He ended the call.

* * *

Xander had done his best to remain hidden from the three armed men just outside his car, hoping they would move on without realizing he was there. When the silence of the night was interrupted with the sound of a shotgun blast, followed quickly by the sound of fighting, he carefully raised his head to quickly glance through the rear window again.

He saw a heavily built black man, glad in dark leather pants, a bicker jacket and a black New York Yankees cap, holding another man up against the wall with one hand. Another man was down on the ground, obviously unconscious and bleeding heavily. The black man, with his back to Xander, began to speak, and Xander was able to make out the words through his partially open side window. _Masquerade? Sabbat? Justicar of Clan Brujah? What the hell is he talking about?_ He watched as Mike's head was ripped off and the vampire turned to dust. Not having expected to see that, it took him a second to overcome his initial shock before he dropped low again in his backseat. _3000 miles from home, and I still manage to find the place where the shit hits the fan. Could this night get any worse?_

* * *

Theo was just about to bend down to lift Darryl's body from the ground to drink him dry and quench the worst of his thirst when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and pressed against the wall of the garage by an incredibly strong force. He felt his arms pinned behind his back, and he was barely able to move his head to glance over his shoulder and catch a glimpse of his attacker.

A small, dark-haired man stood into the middle of the parking lot. Black tendrils of solid shadow extended from his fingers, holding Theo helplessly pinned down in their iron grip_. Fucking Lasombra! I knew this was all too easy. Damn it!_

"Archon Bell, thank you so much for tonight's entertainment. I have to admit that I was quite impressed by your performance." There were police sirens in the distance, and the man looked around the area briefly before he continued to speak. "I am afraid there won't be much time to get more acquainted. You did a good job, all considered, and you sure were a thorn in Polonia's side these past weeks, but it will stop here and now, I'm afraid." Theo was struggling to break free of the shadow tendrils, but to know avail. He already was low on blood, but he continued to burn more of his vitae to send additional strength into his arms and legs. "Any last words from the mighty Theo Bell?"

Theo's anger further fueled his attempts of breaking free. His arms felt like they were burning from the inside, the raw power almost tearing his muscles apart, and he could start to feel the grip that was holding them in place weaken slightly. He didn't think it would be enough to free him in time before his attacker finished him off, though, so he turned his head around as far as he could and spat out through clenched teeth, "Fuck you too, asshole!"

His attacker laughed and raised his right hand, the tendrils extending from his fingertips merging into a large single one that hovered over Theo's body. "Good night, Archon Bell", the vampire said, bringing his extended arm forward and down.

Theo saw the shadow form moving quickly towards his head and felt a strange sense of peace while he waited for the blow that would end his existence to connect. Instead of the pain, he felt the shadows holding him in place disappear as he dropped to the ground. Confused, he looked around, taking in the scene before him. His attacker was lying on the ground, a wooden stake protruding from his back. A teenage boy was standing over him, staring at the body with a look of frustration on his face and letting out a sigh. "Damn it, not another one of those! Can't they just die like all the rest at home? Giles is so not going to believe this."

_**Sunnydale****, California; August 17th, 1999, 0:45 AM PST**_

Rupert Giles was sitting at the desk in his dark living room, the only light coming from a large reading lamp in front of him. The place was littered with open books everywhere, and occasionally the watcher would get up, walk over to one or the other book, cross-reference something and then return to his seat.

Xander's call from a week ago had him very concerned. Vampires were supposed to die upon being staked. It had always been like that. Not one of his records in the watchers' diaries indicated otherwise.

At the moment, he was reading through the journal of Johannes von Reden, a watcher that served a slayer in northern Germany in the late 11th century. The writing was clear and concise, however, Giles had a hard time making sense of some of the old German in the text.

For the past two days he had been working on a translation of what seemed to be an ancient prophecy Johannes claimed to have found on scrolls in the local cathedral's archives. It just didn't make sense to him, and even a call to the watcher's council in England had not brought any further clarity.

"… and the dark champion and the three sanctities shall stand tall amidst the black flood, and not drown in but rise above it," Giles was reading out in a low voice, his brows furrowed in frustration and concentration. "He who walks the night and he who lights the day shall forget their eternal struggle, so God be willing, thus restoring the equilibrium of good and evil, of light and darkness, of truths hidden and secrets revealed, henceforth and till eternity, for if they fail, the end of days will be upon us and the dead shall inherit the Earth."

Giles looked at the sheet of paper in front of him. "Good Lord!" He stood up and began pacing the room, polishing his glasses with a handkerchief. _It doesn't make sense. What did he mean by the three sanctities? It's clearly a reference to a clerical or spiritual entity, either… _

His thoughts where interrupted when the phone rang.

"Giles residence, this is Rupert speaking."

"Rupert, this is Travis." Said an elderly voice in a clear British accent.

Giles stiffened noticeably, placing down his glasses on the desk in front of him. "I pertain that this is in regard to my recent inquiry?"

"Yes, it is indeed." Travis seemed to pause for a second before continuing, "We looked it over, and tried to figure out ourselves who the prophecy could be talking about. We believe your translation to be accurate for the most part, but we are not sure about the…", there is a shuffling noise of papers audible over the phone, "_Dreiseligkeit_ that is mentioned. There are several theories as to which individual or entity could be inferred here, but nothing solid yet. However, Morten came up with something that is quite peculiar. In the literal translation of the word, or to be more specific, the translation of the various parts of the word, there is a completely new meaning evolving."

Travis paused, causing Giles to finally say, "And what would that meaning be?"

"It means 'The one with three souls'."

Giles picked up his glasses again and began cleaning them rigorously. "Good Lord."

**_Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 17th, 1999, 3:58 AM EST_**

Theo slowly got up from the ground, his eyes never leaving Xander, who, in return, eyed him suspiciously. "Thanks for the help", Theo said while starting to slowly walk towards his rescuer.

Xander laughed. "If I were you I would stop right there." He reached behind his back and pulled a stake and wooden cross out of his back pockets, bringing them into view in an almost casual manner but keeping his arms lowered for now. "I don't have a damn idea about what is going on here, but do you really think I don't know what you are?"

Theo raised his left eyebrow in response, looking Xander over with an anew sense of caution. _I really hope he didn't just mean what I think he meant. He saved my ass, but if he knows about the kindred then he is a danger to the Masquerade, and I am afraid I can't just let him get away like that. Paschek would throw a fit, and that's never a good thing._ Theo almost grinned at the thought, but kept his face and composure unreadable. "I don't know what you are talking about." _Man, that__ was lame. I'm really not good at this bullshit smalltalk._

"Oh please, spare me. I live in Sunnydale, California, don't you think I would know a vampire when I see one?" When Theo didn't show any emotion, Xander continued, "Come on, don't tell me you haven't heard about Sunnydale. Home of the slayer and a lovely hellmouth that attracts you fangies like an open house at the local blood bank?"

"The slayer?" Theo said, trying to confirm that his ears didn't play a trick on him.

"Yeah, you know, one girl in all the world destined to go an kick some major vampire ass? Does that ring a bell?"

_This night just went from bad to worse. I need to talk to Paschek right away. _Theo reached into his leather jacket, which caused Xander to take a step forward while raising both the stake and the cross. "Don't even think about it, dead boy!" Theo froze briefly before continuing to pull out his cell phone. Before he had a chance to start dialing he saw the typical red and blue lights flashing as a police car rounded a street corner two blocks south and headed straight their way. Xander saw them coming, as well, and suddenly realized how bad the situation must look. Two dead bodies on the ground, one of them being staked through the heart with a piece of wood that had his fingerprints all over. The assault weapons on the ground seemed almost trivial compared to that. Xander groaned. "This is not good."

With a nod at the items Xander was holding, Theo said, "Put those away, follow my lead and just be quiet." He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a leather bound identity card. The police car came to a screeching halt, and the two officers jumped out, weapons drawn. "Freeze! Get your hands up where we can see them!"

Xander immediately did as told, while Theo held both of his hands in clear view before revealing his ID. "I am Agent Bell with the National Security Agency, and you, officers, are interrupting a federal investigation." He established eye contact with what looked to be the senior officer and immediately pushed into the mind of the man. Years of frustration and disillusionment with his job had eroded any resistance Theo might have encountered otherwise, and he could feel that the man was receptive for his coercion almost immediately. "There is no need to do this at gun point and attract any more unwanted attention to the situation."

The officer lowered his weapon and turned to his partner. "Keep an eye on the other one while I verify his ID". "You got it, Mark!" his partner acknowledged, keeping his weapon trained on Xander while Mark slowly stepped forward towards Theo. When Mark was close enough, Theo handed him his ID and established eye contact again. With a low voice so that only Mark could hear him, he said, "When I am done talking you will look at the ID card for a minute and pretend to make a call confirming that it is real. Then you will walk back to your partner and tell him that we are cleared and that this is indeed a federal case. You will ask your partner to come over to speak to me, after which you will get into the car and wait. When you partner enters the car, you will call into your department and tell them that you found no evidence of any shooting after investigating this site. You will forget that you ever saw anyone around here tonight. You will go home and feel so tired that you go to bed directly and sleep. Do you understand?"

Mark nodded, took the offered ID and checked it. After pretending to call into the command center to confirm it, he looked up and said, "I am sorry that we interfered with your investigation. I hope you have a good night, Agent Bell." Theo nodded and responded, "Same to you, Officer Degner."

A few minutes later both officers were on the way back to their headquarter, never remembering anything unusual about the night.

* * *

Xander looked after the disappearing police car and shook his head. _I don't know what's worse. The police in Sunnydale who just looks the other way and explains everything with gangs on PCP, or this._ He looked back at Theo, who had just put his ID away and gave him a questioning look.

"What is it?" Xander asked, his eye briefly locking with Theo's. It was all the vampire needed to establish a mental connection. Contrary to the ease with which he was able to deal with the two police officers a few minutes ago, Theo felt a large resistance when he tried to push into Xander's mind. It took him a lot of efforts and time to slowly chip away on the wall of willpower and determination that opposed him, but he kept whispering his coercions into Xander's mind, gradually building false memories and suppressing the real ones about the events of the past hour.

* * *

The hyena spirit had been pacing restlessly in the magical prison ever since the binding spell had trapped it there. It was a leader, the alpha of the pack, and the existence within the confines created in its host's mind was unbearable. When it first heard the call, it seemed far away and unnoticeable. It took it a minute to recognize it, but when it did it howled. The barriers holding him trapped began to shake, and tiny cracks appeared on the bars of mystical energy that held it in place. The call grew louder. A challenge for supremacy. A challenge to its leadership. The alpha howled again, fighting against its imprisonment and accepting the challenge that had been issued. The call grew louder and louder, and with a blinding flash, the barrier shattered and was gone. The alpha raced to the surface, following the call. It felt weaker than it could remember being before, but it would resume the alpha position again. It reached the surface and howled. The hunter had found its' prey.

* * *

Theo was almost done with planting his suggestions into Xander's mind and convincing him that he had never seen him nor that the events of the past hour had ever happened when he felt a sudden surge of pain and his mental connection broke down. His beast, the monstrous side of his vampiric being that constantly struggled with his conscience for control and that forever tried to extinguish the flame of humanity inside of him, roared in response with such force that Theo could only avoid the red haze of falling into a frenzy by extending every bit of trained control he'd acquired in over a century of being kindred. He raised his gaze to look at Xander again, and saw the teenager throw his head back and howl. The beast inside Theo responded to the call, and Theo's vision turned red.

* * *

Author's Note: I am aware that there was very little OTH in this part, aside from the location. When I wrote this chapter I realized that it took me longer to set up the premise of the story than I had thought before. No worries, starting next chapter there will be plenty of interaction with Lucas, Brooke and the rest of the gang.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for taking forever to get this part out. I'm not going to project anymore how long the next chapter will take me, since work and real life keep me quite busy these days. I wanted to thank everybody for the large amount of feedback I received for the first two chapters, it was certainly more than I had expected, and I wanted to let you all know that it is very appreciated. To anyone having read the Clan Novel series by White Wolf: while the events are mostly taking place as described in the books (at least up to this point), please note that they are delayed by about 6-8 weeks. Therefore, the assault on Atlanta happened quite recently, and at this point in the story, Sabbat forces have only started to launch skirmishes into Washington D.C. Also, I slightly changed the order of certain events from early episodes of One Tree Hill to better fit my needs. Don't be surprised when I shuffle things around a little bit.

* * *

**_A cavern deep under the streets of New York City; August 17th, 1999, 4.32 AM EST_**

Calebros was sitting at his desk reviewing the increasing number of reports that came in since the Sabbat offensive had begun. His crooked spine was hurting him particularly badly tonight, and he contemplated going to rest early when the door to his room burst open without so much as a knock. Calebros almost jumped out of his seat, which was quite a feat for the large Nosferatu in this small and overly crowded room.

The members of the Nosferatu warren he was leading knew better than to disturb him like that, but when he saw Emmett, his first in command, enter the room with some papers in his hand and a look of concern on his face, his initial anger quickly subsided. If Emmett looked like that, then he was clearly bothered by something, and that did not happen easily.

"I'm sorry to burst in her like this and interrupt you, but…" Emmett started, but was quickly silenced by Calebros' stare. "I think you should read this." He handed the sheets of paper to Calebros, who took them with his clawed fingers, careful not to shred them to pieces by accident.

Calebros quickly scanned the pages, then sat down to read them more closely a second time.

To: C in NYC  
From: R in London  
Re: The Watcher's Council - Urgent, please advise!

Something happened at the Watcher's Council. All projects have been stopped over the past two days and all resources have been redirected to research of the attached writings by Johannes von Reden dating back to 1196 and their relation to current events. They seem to believe that the time for the prophecy has come. Not sure if this was triggered by Sabbat attacks in US. Text was discovered by Rupert Giles, who is the current watcher in Sunnydale, CA. It is currently unknown where this text came from. Agent teams about to be sent out to Atlanta and other US locations - will provide detail information for monitoring when available. We are currently diverting their attention to safe areas, but Travis is taking personal interest in the matter. Need immediate advice on how to proceed.

R-

Emmett watched silently while Calebros read through the attached text, shifting his weight from one foot to another while waiting for a reaction.

"Who knows about this?" Calebros finally asked.

"Aside from Roland and Lana, who is running the computers right now, it's just you and me," Emmett replied.

Calebros nodded and sighed. "Make sure it stays that way. Tell Roland to delay them as long as possible without being discovered. If he needs access to additional funds, make sure he has them available. If he needs to dispose of some people, then he has the authority to do so." He paused slightly. "And arrange for a meeting with _him_  
tomorrow," Calebros said quietly, raising the papers he was holding to emphasize his point.

Emmett's eyes went wide. "How am I supposed to do that? He is not someone you can just call. As far as I know, he has not been seen in over 50 years." Calebros unlocked a drawer of his desk and, after a quick search, handed Emmett a sheet of paper. "Make sure this is printed in the next issue of the Times." Emmett nodded and left Calebros, who was so immersed in his thoughts that he had even forgotten about his back pain for the first time in weeks. Rest would not come easily today, after all.

**

* * *

**_  
**Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 17th, 1999, 6.46 AM EST**_

"Good morning, honey," Karen said slightly surprised as Lucas was walking into the kitchen, already showered and fully dressed. "You are up early today, is everything alright?"

Lucas smiled at his mom while he walked to the counter and grabbed a fresh bagel from the breakfast basket. "Yeah, I just want to go and talk to Keith before heading to school."

"Oh right, you want to talk about that boy's car. What's his name again?" Karen asked.

"His name's Xander and he seems like a really nice guy. Just had some bad luck when he got cut off the road last night, and I want to help him out."

"Why don't you and Xander come by the café this evening after basketball training, I'd really like to meet him," Karen said as Lucas started to head out the door.

"That sounds great. Thanks Mom, I'll see you later."

"Have a good day at school, Lucas. I love you!"

Lucas looked back at his mom and smiled. "Love you, too"

* * *

Keith was just about to climb into his truck to drive to work when he heard Lucas call out for him. "Hey Keith, wait up!" He looked around and saw Lucas jogging towards him. 

"Hey Luke! What brings you here this morning, shouldn't you get ready for school or something?" Keith asked in his usual gruff voice.

Lucas grinned. "It's good to see you, too, Keith." Keith laughed, as did Lucas. "I have a favor to ask, but I'll explain while we drive to the garage."

"Ok, hop in then," Keith said, leaning over to open the passenger door. Lucas climbed in and Keith started driving towards work. "So, what's the favor?" Lucas looked over to Keith. He really liked his uncle, who was almost like a father to him, and he hated that he couldn't tell him the whole truth. But until he talked to Peyton, he simple could not talk to anyone about what really happened the night before.

"You know, when I was on my way home last night, I witnessed an accident on Main & Spencer. Someone ran  
a red light and cut off another car, which then crashed into a parked car while trying to get out of the way. The guy who was cut off is a teenager from California named Xander who was just passing through town, and now he is kind of stuck here until his car is repaired. The problem is that he doesn't have a whole lot of money to pay for the repair, and the car that cut him off just kept driving. I towed him to the garage, and I told him we would come by together  
this morning to see if we could work something out."

Keith asked, "The other driver just kept driving?" Seeing Lucas' nod, he said, "You know I like to help, Lucas, but I can't work for free."

"But I could. I can do it on my off days, and maybe he could work off the cost of the spares. You've been saying for a while that you might want to hire some additional help due to all the work we've been getting lately, right?"

_He is such a good kid with a really big heart. How could I say no to him when he wants to help someone in need?_ When Keith didn't answer right away, Lucas added with a grin on his face, "Would it help with making your decision to know that the car he crashed into was Dan's SUV?" Keith laughed loudly and looked over at his nephew. "I think it might. Let's take a look at how bad it is, and we'll take it from there."

"Thanks Keith, you're the best!"

The song on the radio ended and the moderator came on. "This is Ken Brown and you are listening to KOTH, the voice of Tree Hill. The next caller on the line is Steve. How's it going this morning, Steve?"

"Ken, you won't believe what I saw this morning when I was driving to work."

"What's that, Steve? Did Mayor Johnson scare the neighbors again with another pyjama show on his front lawn?" Ken asked and started laughing.

"No man, I was going down Main Street at around 5am this morning, and these two guys were chasing each other like there was no tomorrow. I swear to God, I was going maybe 45 because I was already running late to pick up my co-worker, and they just ran past me. Can you beep believe that? They outran me on foot!"

Keith and Lucas laughed. "Sounds to me like Steve was either still asleep or high on drugs. Why do these guys always call in with these bogus stories?" Keith asked chuckling. Lucas just shrugged and continued to laugh as he listened to Ken making fun of the caller, as well. "I don't know, but it's good entertainment this early in the day." Keith smiled and nodded in agreement as pulled into the parking lot in front of the garage. "Here we go."

Keith parked his truck and they both left the car. Keith started opening the rolling shutters of the garage while Lucas walked over to Xander's car and smiled when he saw Xander sleeping in the back seat. He knocked on the rear window. "Hey Xander, good morning!"

Xander woke up from the knocking and quickly sat up in the car, looking around confused and somewhat disoriented. He had a killer headache and every muscle in his body seemed to hurt. His vision focused on Lucas, who was watching him with a grin on his face while he opened the door and asked, "Tough night? You look like you've been partying too much."

Xander looked at him with a confused expression, trying to remember what happened the night before. Gradually, some distant images came back to him. Vampires fighting right outside his car. Him standing over a staked body. The police aiming their guns at him. Theo talking to him.

Theo. The memory of his voice struck something inside of him, and he felt himself shiver. He desperately tried to remember more of what happened after Theo talked to him, but it was all a blur right now, and the pounding he felt in his temples did not help.

"Xander, are you alright?" Lucas asked concerned. "Come on, say something!"

That snapped Xander out of his reverie. "Yeah, sorry for zoning out on you. I just have a killer headache and I'm feeling a bit under the weather this morning." He yawned, then climbed out of the car. "So how was the rest of your night?"

"Not bad. Called my best friend Haley after I got home just to catch up and watched some TV with my mom when she finally got home. And as I promised, I talked to my uncle Keith this morning." Lucas pointed to Keith, who had finished opening up the doors to the garage and was on his way over to meet them. Xander reached out and shook Keith's hand. "Good morning, Mr. Scott, it's nice meeting you."

Keith smiled and shook his head. "Please call me Keith. Mr. Scott is my father, and he is not here right now." Xander smiled back and nodded, while Keith started looking at Xander's car. "That looks pretty bad. The whole frame in the front seems damaged," Keith said and used some force to push the hood open. "We'd have to replace parts of the engine, for sure, but I can't even assess the full damage without dismantling it. Your radiator is totally gone, and your water cooler looks damaged, as well. We have to take a look at your transmission, too."

Xander listened to Keith and sighed. _I can never afford the repair. So maybe this is the end of the road for me. I should have enough money to buy myself a bus ticked and go home._ A feeling of sadness washed over Xander at that thought. _Home,_ he snorted. _I don't even know what that is anymore. _He snapped out of his thoughts and asked, "So how much is all of this going to be?"

Keith scratched his head for a second and looked back and forth between Xander and Lucas before replying, "For your model, spares alone will probably run up to anywhere from $1500 to $2000, at least, and looking at the extent of the damage, I figure it takes about 25 work hours to get the repairs done once all the spares arrive." He had to suppress a grin when he saw Xander's shoulders slump even further and Lucas looking at him while raising his eyebrow and making small sideways nods towards Xander.

"Well, thanks for taking the time to look at it, at least. I think I just…." Xander trailed off when he saw both Keith and Lucas grin at him. "What?"

"How would you like to work for me for a few weeks? I wanted to get some help anyway, and this way you can work off the cost of the spares and together we can do the repair of your car in the evenings. And Luke's mom has a spare bedroom that I'm sure I can convince her to let you use, which is a hell of a lot more comfortable than the backseat of your car. So, what do you say?" Keith asked.

Xander was taken aback. These people did not know him and had no reason to be so nice to a stranger, yet here they were, grinning from ear to ear at his perplexed expression while waiting for him to answer. He cleared his throat and asked, "Are you sure? This is such a generous offer, but I can't possibly…"

"Of course you can, and yes, I am sure," Keith interrupted.

Xander started to smile and said, "I think we have a deal then."

_You can always count on Keith to help you out when you need it. This also gives me a chance to work things out with Peyton, _Lucas thought. _If she'll talk to me at all after last night, that is. _"Listen, I need to run and get to school, and I have basketball training later today so I won't be coming here to work in the afternoon. My mom wants to meet us at the café for dinner tonight at around 7," Lucas said to Xander. "You should come, as well, Keith. Mom's making her special."

"Homemade lasagna al forno? I'm there!" Keith replied enthusiastically. "Have a good day at school, Luke."

"Thanks. See you later, Keith and Xander"

"Bye Lucas. And thanks a lot for everything," Xander said and shook Lucas' hand.

"My pleasure. See you tonight."

* * *

**_Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 17th, 1999, 7.45 PM EST_**

Lucas was walking along the sidewalk of Main Street towards his mom's café, his sporting bag in hand and the wet hair still glistening in the evening sun from a recently taken shower. He felt exhausted. Whitey had worked the team extra hard tonight because he wasn't pleased with their physical condition during their game the prior night, so he had added an extra 30 minutes of cardio workout after an already exhausting training.

Nathan and most of his jock friends had been an ass to him again, and if it wasn't for Jake passing him the ball regularly he wouldn't have been able to score decently during their practice match. _I only wish they would get over themselves and just treat me as part of the team. Thank God Jake is on my side, that makes it at least bearable,_ Lucas thought. He had tried to talk to Peyton about last night, but she had avoided him all day long like the plague, and cheerleading training was over before the basketball team got to leave, so he never got a chance to talk to her before she left.

He caught her watching him during practice a few times, though, and a smile crossed his face when he remembered how she always pretended to be focusing her attention somewhere else whenever he looked back at her. Things were complicated between them, and the fact that until recently she had dated his asshole brother didn't make things any less awkward.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he arrived at the café and entered to find Keith, Xander and Haley sitting at a table in the corner, their laughter carrying across the room as Xander finished saying something with a grin on his face and both Keith and Haley laughed hard in response. Haley spotted Lucas and waved at him. "Lucas, come on over, we've been waiting for you!"

Lucas waved back and made his way across the room and sat down, nodding hello to Xander and Keith. "Seems like you guys are having a good time. Sorry for running late, Whitey just kept working us like crazy tonight," Lucas said with an exhausted look on his face.

"No problem, Luke. Xander just told us some of the stories from his road trip, and Haley came over to join us for dinner. Talking about dinner, isn't that a sight for the gods?" Keith asked and nodded towards the kitchen, from where Karen was approaching carrying four large plates of lasagna. Lucas smiled at the ambiguity of what Keith had just said, not being sure if he referred to either the food, his mom or both. He knew that Keith liked his mom a lot, and he'd be more than fine with it if they ever ended up as a couple.

"Yeah, it is. And the food looks great, too," Lucas said with a grin on his face, which got even broader when he saw Keith blushing slightly. Haley looked at him with wide eyes and leaned over the table to playfully hit him on the arm, whispering "I can't believe you just said that!"

Xander watched the whole exchange from his seat and smiled. _These are a great bunch of people. Lucas is lucky to have them in his life. _He and Keith had talked quite a bit over the course of the day, which was a surprise because Keith didn't appear very talkative at first. It seemed like they shared a lot of views on what they considered important, and Xander had learned a lot about Lucas and his family.

"I hope you all will enjoy this, and if it isn't enough, there is more for second servings in the kitchen," Karen said as she set down the plates.

"This looks great, Ms. Roe. Thank you!" Xander said, looking at the plate front of him.

"He's right. This is delicious, Karen," Keith said in between bites after quickly digging into the pasta. Karen watched satisfied as everyone eagerly started working on their dinner before turning back to tend to her other customers.

Xander's eyes wandered over to Haley, and not for the first time in the past 45 minutes since she had introduced herself had he been reminded of how much she resembled someone else he had left behind. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear before eating and how she tilted her head while listening to someone who was talking to her, it all reminded him of Willow. A feeling of guilt washed over him. He didn't mean to hurt Willow when he left, but he knew he did. He was angry at Buffy, and if he was honest with himself, to a small degree at Willow, as well, but he left because he couldn't take it anymore and needed to get away. He didn't do it to hurt his best friend. Once he was on the road he felt better the longer and further he was away from Sunnydale, and a part of him feared that he would ruin that by calling her. The longer he was away, the harder it became to change that, so he never called. Sitting across someone who reminded him so much of her made him wish that he had spoken to her, to let her know that he was doing ok. From his conversations with Giles he knew that she had been taking him leaving particularly hard. _Oh God, I have to call Giles. I can't believe I forgot about that._

"Is there a phone in here I can use? I forgot that I had to call someone urgently," Xander asked.

"There's a phone behind the counter, but you could just use my cell. Unless it's international it won't cost anything at this hour," Lucas replied and handed Xander his cell phone. Xander nodded his thanks and excused himself from the table, stepping out of the restaurant while dialing Giles's number.

* * *

**_Sunnydale, California; August 17th, 1999, 5.14 PM PST_**

Giles woke up to the sound of his phone ringing loudly. He looked around the mess in his living room where he had fallen asleep from exhaustion just a few hours earlier. After finding his classes on the table he got up from the couch, walked over to his desk and picked up the phone. "This is Rupert Giles speaking, how may I help you?"

"Yo, G-Man. How are you doing?" Xander asked, which caused Giles to wince.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

Xander grinned and replied, "Oh, I don't know. Not often enough, I guess." He heard a muffled sigh through the phone before turning serious. "Any new information regarding our last conversation, Giles?" Xander questioned while looking around to make sure none of the passerby were listening to him.

"Well, the only related items I found in regard to the phenomenon you described were references to very old vampires, such as Kakistos, who lived so long that their skin grew as hard as metal, giving them a natural resistance to being staked by normal means. However, there have been no records of vampires that survived a wooden stake actually penetrating the heart. To be honest with you, I cannot explain what you saw, but it seems like it was a very rare occurrence rather than the norm and I don't believe we have to be overly concerned about this or that we will see this occur again any time soon."

"Oh good," Xander replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "then I guess I just won't worry that it happened again last night, right?"

"It WHAT?"

* * *

**_Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 17th, 1999, 9.12 PM EST_**

The sun had settled a few minutes earlier as Theo stirred from his sleep and looked around the dark room he was in. _Where the hell am I? And what the fuck happened last night? _He remembered nothing after talking to Xander aside from the fact that had fallen into a frenzy. Remorse washed over him as he imagined how quickly and mercilessly he must have killed the boy and anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path while the beast had control of him.

"I see you, Theophilus," a familiar-sounding voice said from behind him, and Theo whirled around in the dark to see a figure sitting on a chair across the room. He relaxed when he recognized who it was.

"What are you doing here, Itio?" Theo asked.

Itio was a physically small kindred compared to Theo. He appeared to be a middle-aged Asian man with short black hair and dark eyes that constantly wandered around, seeming to take in every detail. "The same thing you do, Theophilus. Following the Sabbat as it moves the attack northward. I just don't get in their way like you do." Itio bowed towards Theo and smiled. "It is good to see that you have regained your control. The beast had you firmly in its grasp last night when I finally caught up with you."

"Yeah, I am not sure why I lost control," Theo said somberly. "Did you see me kill any kine during my frenzy, other than the teenage boy I was with when it happened?"

Itio looked at Theo with a thoughtful expression on his face, almost like he was weighing his next words carefully. After a short while, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "As far as I can tell you did not kill anyone, and especially not that boy." Theo looked at him surprised. "In fact, when I finally caught up with the two of you, it looked more like your beast made you flee from his."

Theo blinked, not believing what he was hearing. "That's just not possible. He is a mortal, Itio, he does not have a beast. And in a frenzy I would have simply torn him apart. You've seen me before. I kill whole Sabbat packs in close combat, there is no way that a mere mortal would have survived."

"He is mortal, I give you that, but he is far from normal. Did you even look at his aura when you met him?" Itio questioned.

"No, I did not," Theo admitted.

"He is different, Theophilus. I have never seen anything like him. He doesn't have just one aura, it appears like he has several distinct ones. They seemed to be separate for the most part, but there was something else there that connected them. And one of them clearly resembled what you and I call our beast."

"That's ridiculous, Itio. The beast is a part of us, not a separate entity. And just like the aura reflects the current state of our inner being, it is simply impossible that is shows more than one identity no matter how complex that identity is."

Itio listened intently to Theo, nodding his head with his hands folded in his lap and a thoughtful expression on his face. "Normally, I would agree with you. However, I know what I have seen last night, and it does not match that at all. He was as much in a state of frenzy as you were. He matched you in speed and strength, and I think he might have been able to kill you if I hadn't stepped in."

Theo laughed in disbelief. "You got to be kidding me." The notion that a mortal was able to stand up to him, especially in the state of frenzy when the beast took control and reduced his instincts to the most basic form of fight, kill and survive was ridiculous.

Itio shook his head. "I wish I was, Theophilus."

"Ok, let's assume what you say is true, and you can fucking trust me that I don't believe so, how did you get us to stop trying to kill each other?" Theo inquired.

"I calmed your beasts enough for you to regain control. Some of the Nosferatu believe that our beast has something in common with the spirits of the wild and that of animals in particular. They say that, to a limited extend, it can be communicated with, much like they can talk to animals. It was risky, but it was the only thing I could do before it was getting too late. The sunrise was close, and I was glad to see that it worked before you both turned on me."

"What happened to him?"

Itio shrugged, "You mean Alexander? Nothing. He was very weak when he regained his self-control, and I brought him back to where you met him." Seeing Theo's look of alarm on his face, he continued, "Don't worry, I made sure he doesn't remember me. However, I couldn't change his earlier memories."

"He's a risk, Itio. He knows about the kindred. He knows about me. And he knows about the slayer, too. Paschek will never allow him to live."

"Paschek might be right," Itio replied after a moment. "But look at it from this point. He could be a great asset. One that our enemies are not even aware of right now. And let's face it, my friend. We are at war, and we need all the help we can get."

Theo couldn't deny that it looked bad right now. The Sabbat forces moved swiftly and brutally, gaining a lot of ground and killing scores of Camarilla vampires and ghouls in the process. This was not like the crusades in the past that were launched to wrestle control of certain cities from the Camarilla. This was an all-out assault that could potentially eradicate the Camarilla presence on the East Coast of the United States in a matter of weeks. Theo's orders were clear. To oppose the enemy forces and slow down their progress as much as possible while upholding the traditions of the Masquerade, which first and foremost demanded that humans were, under no circumstances, allowed to learn about the existence of the kindred. Any breaches in the Masquerade were to be dealt with at once and without any compromise.

"I need to get more information on Xander. Where he comes from, how he is related to the slayer, how he learned about the kindred."

Itio smiled and bowed. "We've been working on that already for the past 15 hours. I should have something to share with you over the course of the night."

Before Theo could reply he was interrupted by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He looked at the number and sighed. Justicar Paschek's direct line. "Here goes nothing," Theo mumbled and picked up the call.

**_

* * *

_  
_Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 18th, 1999, 2.26 AM EST _**

Lightning lit up the night sky over the Tree Hill Cemetary as the ground was pounded by heavy rains that had started a few hours ago. The storm had moved in from the nearby ocean and kept anyone who was still awake inside their houses. Lightning struck again close by, followed immediately by loud thunder.

A lone black bird landed atop a recently erected gravestone. Defying the elements, it was pecking at the stone below, waiting. The rolling thunders grew louder, the wind intensified and another lightning struck a tree inside the graveyard. The bird crowed in excitement as it saw the earth in front of the gravestone move and a hand break through. The time for revenge had come.


	4. Chapter 4

**Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 17th, 1999, 10.42 PM EST**

The fax had come through thirty minutes ago, and Itio and Theo were shifting through the large file in front of them. Itio didn't share who sent it, and Theo didn't bother asking. Over the years he had learned that Itio had access to information sources that were beyond most people's reach.

After a few more minutes of reading, Itio looked at Theo and said, "It seems from this file that there was nothing special about Alexander Lavelle Harris, or Xander as he calls himself, until a few years ago, when the current slayer moved to Sunnydale. The documents are a little vague on the details, but it appears that Alexander became involved with and supported the slayer in her duties, although his capabilities are reported as limited at the time. It's been documented that revived the slayer when she was drained and nearly killed in an incident involving a fairly powerful Sabbat Nosferatu three years ago."

Itio shifted through the stack of paper before continuing, "It is unclear at this point in time what exactly happened, but for a while now he has displayed some superior knowledge and abilities. Among other things, he designed and built a bomb that blew up his whole school this summer, killing a fifth circle demon _after_ he completed his ascension." Itio let the words sink in before handing Theo the faxed photographs that displayed the smoking ruins of Sunnydale High School. "And on an interesting side note, he has reported ties to Angelus, child of Darla. Although I wouldn't exactly call them friends, these reports talk about them working together at times."

The last piece of information raised an eyebrow with Theo, who had a growing feeling of both uneasiness and fascination since they'd started reviewing the surprisingly extensive and detailed documents. "Paschek is not going to like this one bit," Theo said somberly. During their earlier conversation, Theo had briefed his justicar on the previous night but had chosen to leave out his run-in with Xander for the time being.

Itio looked at him and shrugged, "Since when has that been stopping you, Theophilus?"

"Right," Theo said and forced a pained grin, "I don't think it ever has." Theo picked up his cell phone again, dreading the conversation he was about to have.

* * *

**New York City, New York; August 17th, 1999, 10.51 PM EST**

Avery Fisher Concert Hall at Lincoln Center was dark tonight. No performance had been scheduled, and the building was only running the emergency lighting to preserve energy. The plaza outside was packed with people enjoying the warm summer night while dancing during the Midsummer Night Swing festival. The music didn't carry far into the building, however, and never reached the concert hall where Calebros was sitting in one of the private boxes overlooking the empty stage, hidden from view under the veil of obfuscate for everyone except the one he wanted to meet..

He felt a familiar presence beside him, one that even after decades he immediately recognized beyond doubt. He looked over to the seat on his left where a large vampire seemed to materialize out of thin air. The newcomer made no attempt to hide his disfigured appearance that was the curse of all Nosferatu. His head was larger than normal, and his skin was an unhealthy looking shade of grey. His eyes bore an expression of deep sadness that was conveyed to anyone looking into them, as if this creature had chosen to bear the weight of the world on its shoulders just so that nobody else had to.

A large and hideously deformed cat the size of a juvenile tiger entered the box they were sitting in and looked briefly at Calebros before walking over to the newcomer and putting its head on its knee. A hand came down to pet it, and it closed its eyes while starting to purr.

After a few more moments of silence, Calebros cleared his throat and said, "She has gotten a lot bigger since we last met."

His guest nodded absentmindedly, and after a few more moments he began to speak in a deep baritone voice, "It is a pleasure seeing you again, Calebros. You should be proud, you have been doing very well for yourself and our kind." When Calebros didn't respond, he continued, "Why did you want to see me after all this time?"

Calebros leaned over and handed him a few pages of printouts. The Nosferatu glanced at them briefly before putting them in his lap. His reaction and the look of recognition on his face told Calebros that it these documents were real. "What I want to know is why? Why did you ensure that they were found now, and by a watcher, nonetheless?" Calebros asked.

"Because they are true," his guest said matter-of-factly.

After thinking about it for a minute, Calebros asked, "If this is destined to happen, why do you even bother with trying to change fate?"

The other Nosferatu looked at him with surprise. "Only the meek accept the hand that was dealt to them, Calebros. You of all people should understand that." His focus shifted from Calebros to an image from the past he saw in his mind. "Do you remember Santo Domingo, Calebros? Do you remember our dream? Dante, Constanza, Donna Murakka, you. We all believed it in. We all lived it. It was just like Menele had told us about from the days in Carthage." His voice grew more agitated as the anger he'd held inside seeped to the surface. "In a few nights they destroyed what took us over a century to build. They took our dream away from us. And now we'll destroy theirs!" He had risen from his seat during the last words, taking a step towards Calebros and putting his right hand on the younger Nosferatu's shoulder. Johannes von Reden studied Calebros' face, desperately searching for an understanding for and acceptance of the gravity of the situation and the choices that had been made.

And Calebros understood. He brought his clawed fingers to rest on the Johannes' hand and squeezed gently. "We had to wait four centuries for this moment. We shall have our revenge at last. How can the Nosferatu of New York assist you, my sire?"

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 17th, 1999, 11.34 PM EST**

"You want to do WHAT?" Justicar Paschek screamed into the phone. "Have you completely lost what little has been left of your mind, Bell? You will do no such thing. Kill him and be done with it!"

"Wait a minute, sir, he…" Theo started to reply.

"Wait a minute? WAIT A MINUTE?" Paschek screamed even louder. There was a pause, and Theo wondered if he finally overstepped his boundaries. When Paschek spoke again, he did so in an even and composed voice, which sent chills down Theo's spine. Having known the justicar and his temper, which was notoriously short even for a member of Clan Brujah, he realized that Paschek was very much on the edge, or maybe even over it. "Enlighten me, Archon, why I should wait a minute. Please, go ahead, I am eager to hear a plausible explanation for your utter disrespect towards me and the position I hold."

Theo sighed, but was not willing to back down from his earlier statement either. "Sir, I believe that there is a chance to utilize him to our advantage. The information we have and that I can send over to you show that he is connected to the slayer and the slayer's support network. The Sabbat is moving too fast in numbers that are too large for us to even stand a chance. If we could open up a new front by bringing in some more players, we might be able to slow them down enough to coordinate our defenses. The idea of setting the slayer loose in Atlanta or Miami…"

"Enough," Justicar Paschek said forcefully. "I will have none of this nonsense. Do you have any idea what's at stake here? Do I need to remind you what would happen if the slayer were to uncover the truth? We have been over this before, Archon, and the answer is no."

Theo shook his head. Paschek just didn't understand the situation. The Camarilla was getting slaughtered out there while they were speaking. There was some merit in his suggestion and the potential should at least be explored. "Sir, I am formally requesting to further investigate the usefulness of Alexander Harris in our fight against the Sabbat and to delay his removal until such investigation has been concluded. What is your decision, sir?"

Before Paschek had a chance to reply, Theo crushed the cell phone in his hand and threw it into the garbage. Seeing Itio's amused look, he shrugged and said, "I guess I have to assume that he concurred until I hear otherwise."

Itio nodded. "And in these troubled times it might take a little while for him to track you down."

"He might. Let's get to work and take a closer look at Mr. Harris then, shall we?"

* * *

**Los Angeles, California; August 17th, 1999, 9.58 PM PST**

Angel was taken by surprise when Lorne wordlessly handed him a cellular phone. He was still new to Los Angeles, and the only people who knew his exact whereabouts right now were sitting at the table with him. Nodding his thanks at the green demon, he warily took the phone.

"Hello?" He listened to the caller, as his expression went from surprise to concern to annoyance and finally to resignation. After two minutes, he nodded and said, "Ok, I'll be there, Theo. But we are even after that." He hung up the phone and sighed. _How the hell did Xander get into that mess?_

Cordelia looked at him. "Who was that?"

"It was someone calling in a favor that I owe him. Listen, I need to go, I have to be at the airport in an hour."

"Where are you going? Can I come?"

"North Carolina. No, you can't come, Cordy."

"Why not?" Cordelia asked in an annoyed tone. "You are hiding something. I see that guilty look in your eyes. What is it?"

Angel sighed again. He had learned from his time in Sunnydale that the only likely way he could get Cordelia off his back was to tell her the truth. "It's Xander. He's in trouble."

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 18th, 1999, 1.21 PM EST**

Lucas sat at a table reading a book and listening to some music when Peyton and Brooke walked over. He removed his earphones and smiled at them, unsure what the reason for their visit was.

"Hey, broody," Brooke said in her usual seductive way.

Lucas nodded at her. "Hey, cheery." His eyes wandered to Peyton. "Peyton." He still hadn't talked to her about the accident, and with Brooke here it didn't seem like the right moment, either.

"So, I'll see you at practice?" Brooke asked, her eyes still on Lucas.

Peyton looked over to her and nodded, "As always."

Brooke tore her eyes away from Lucas for a second to look at her best friend. "Yeah, you too." She gave Lucas another deep look before turning around and walking away, swinging her hips perfectly with every step.

Peyton watched Brooke leave before sitting down, suddenly feeling nervous. After Lucas had seen her so vulnerable a few days ago and after she had opened up to him for a moment, she couldn't deny any longer that she felt attracted to him. The problem was, however, that they were dancing around the issue without ever really addressing it, and Peyton had decided to do something about it. "So, what's the deal? Are we gonna hang out at this annual Scott money burn or what?"

Lucas was surprised. _Is she flirting with me?_ "Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna spend the night with Nathan and Dan on my Friday off? I don't think so. I'd rather stay home with 'The Great Gatsby'."

Peyton was disappointed by the answer, but she was determined to not give up that easily. She gave him a flirtatious smile and said, "You know, I read a book last night."

Lucas smiled back at her. "Really?"

Nodding eagerly, Peyton slightly leaned forward over the table towards Lucas. "Yeah, it's about this girl and this guy, and they've got this really weird vibe going on, but there's all this drama, 'cause the girl's got this ex-boyfriend who turns out to be none other than the guy's brother. So the whole thing comes this great, big climax at this big party at their evil dad's house."

Listening with intrigue to what she was saying, Lucas lowered his voice and leaned forward himself. "Really? Hmm, what happens in the end?"

Peyton grinned at him, knowing that she had caught his interest. "You're just gonna have to show up to find out." She got up and walked away, leaving Lucas to look after her. _Maybe going to this party is gonna be fun, after all,_ he thought happily to himself, smiling.

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 18th, 1999, 5.18 PM EST**

Skills and Junk were shooting some hoops when Lucas and Xander arrived at the river court. Lucas waved to Jimmy and Mouth, who were setting up their live web cast on the nearby benches, and walked over to his other two friends on the court, motioning for Xander to follow him.

"About time, baby," Skills said while shaking hands with Lucas. "We almost thought you'd leave us hanging, Luke." Looking at Xander, he asked, "And who are you?"

"I'm Xander, a friend of Lucas."

Skills shook his head. "Not on this court you aren't. See, on this court, we are all special. I'm Skills, because I have too many of them to name them all. He is Luke Skywalker, because he plays like the force is with him, but we only call him Luke." Pointing at the other person on the court, Skills continued, "And this is Junk. We are not sure if it is because of how well he plays or how much trash he talks. It's probably both." Skills, Lucas and Xander started to chuckle at that, while Junk put on a great display of being insulted before starting to laugh at himself. "So," Skills said, "all we need now is a name for you." He thought for a second and started to smile. "Since we don't know just yet what your superpower is, let's just call you the X-Man."

Xander grinned and said, "I can live with that one. Alright, let's get a game going."

"Ah, a man to my liking," Skills said. "Mouth, you guys ready?" he shouted over to the benches, where Mouth and Jimmy gave them the thumbs up signal. "Let's play some ball."

* * *

**A military installation somewhere under Sunnydale, California; August 18th, 1999, 2.37 PM PST**

"Sir, we have a problem."

The commanding officer looked up from his screen. "What is it, Corporal?"

"You requested to be informed if any of the level 4 files were ever accessed. It seems like it happened last night for file PP-7." The officer got up and walked over to Corporal Meyer's station. On the screen, he saw a message reading "File PP-7 – Security level 4 – remote access at 08-17-99 0903 PST".

"Remote access into our database? This is an independent database, there is no remote access capability. All file access has to happen from within this facility. Who accessed this file, Corporal?"

Corporal Meyer's fingers flew across the keyboard as he entered a complicated command string. The resulting message on the screen made him raise his eyebrows. "That's impossible," he muttered under his breath, already typing his next command. A list appeared on the display, confirming the soldier's initial reaction. He looked at his commander, cleared his throat and said, "Sir, that information is classified. According to the system, the file was accessed at security level Omega-6. However, that is impossible. The highest security level there is in the system is Omega-5."

"Are you trying to tell me that someone is able to remotely access our secure database at a security level above the highest one possible?"

"That's what it currently appears to be, Sir," Corporal Meyer's replied, his voice slightly wavering under the scrutinizing stare of his commander.

After a brief moment, the commander spoke again. "What is the content of file PP-7?"

Checking the data tag in the system, Corporal Meyer responded, "Civilian data collection and surveillance file of Alexander Lavelle Harris, Sir. The file is attached to Project Progeny."

The commanding officer took a last look at the screen in front of him before walking back to his desk and placing a call over his secure line. "Oversight, this is Control. We had a security breach for Project Progeny."

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina; August 18th, 1999, 5.44 PM EST**

"Rejected!" Mouth shouted into the microphone. "This was already his seventh block of the game, eradicating the former record of five blocks held by Luke. Ladies and gentlemen, the X-Man sets a new record in his first appearance on the river court. Here's the pass, and Skills scores another easy basket after the block and assist by the X-Man. Now what do you think of this game, Jimmy?" Mouth asked excitedly and handed the microphone to his co-moderator.

"Mouth, the last point made it 14-8 for the clear underdog team of Skills and the X-Man. One more point and this would go down in the history books as the biggest upset win on this very court. Our statistic department had to look deep in our archives and just provided us with some new numbers. Another point would end Luke's winning streak of 46 games over the last 121 days, including the most memorable win in recent history over his brother, Nathan Scott."

Mouth took over the microphone again, "What can I say, Jimmy? The crowd here is as stunned as we are. Luke's highest point differential in a loss on this court is 3, dating back to September 27th, 1998. What we are most impressed with is certainly the defensive performance by the X-Man."

Jimmy nodded eagerly. "And somewhere in America Dennis Rodman, Alonzo Mourning and Hakeem Olajuwan are weeping themselves to sleep. Their era of defensive dominance will be all but forgotten after today. This is it, game point. Lucas passes to Junk and moves down the baseline, trying to get past Skills and into position. Junk dribbles past the X-Man, shielding the ball with his body and looking over to find Luke. Luke signals for the ball. Junk is looking up and… STEAL BY THE X-MAN!"

"UNBELIEVABLE," Mouth shouted. "X-Man has the ball and goes for the easy lay-up. Skills and X-Man win! We just witnessed the biggest upset win in Tree Hill history! Jimmy, have you ever seen anybody move their hands that fast?"

"Not in all of my career as a sports commentator, Mouth, and from the look of disbelieve on Junk's face, neither has he."

* * *

A/N: This chapter is a little bit shorter than my other ones, but I wanted to get it out so you guys don't have to wait any longer… ;) Feedback is always appreciated. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
18 August 1999 – 19:10 EDT**

"You are kidding, right?" Haley said with an incredulous look on her face.

Lucas shook his head, eyes downcast and his whole posture spelling defeat. "I wish I was, Hales. He really put one over on me there, I had no idea he could even play."

Haley laughed. "What has the world come to? The mighty Lucas Scott, defeated on his own turf, and by a stranger, to boot." When Lucas gave her a pained look, she giggled and said, "Oh, come on, Luke. You gotta admit it's funny." Lucas just continued staring at her, which caused Haley to laugh even harder. "Alright, Jordan, I have something to cheer you up. Don't go anywhere!" She flashed a smile at him and walked back into the kitchen.

Lucas looked after her and couldn't help but smile a little while he replayed the events on the river court. He never expected Xander to be that good. _Sure, he's pretty tall, but damn, where was all that speed coming from? I'd love to have him on the team at school. Too bad he's not a student here. _ Lucas' thoughts were interrupted when the door of the café opened and Xander walked in, freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a way-too-bright Hawaii shirt.

* * *

Xander walked towards Karen's café, deep in thought. He had another uneventful, yet surprisingly good day at work with Keith, and somehow experiencing something close to a normal life made things look really up for him for the first time in quite a while. _ I just wish I could sleep for more than two hours without waking up covered in sweat and plagued by nightmares. _He had hoped that leaving Sunnydale would help, but so far there was no improvement. _ Hopefully Karen and Lucas won't notice. At least I did not wake up screaming at the top of my lungs the past couple of nights, so I think I'm safe there. _He smirked at the thought of having to explain that kind of behavior to his hosts. Xander entered the café and found Lucas at one of the tables towards the back. When he walked up to him he couldn't help but notice Lucas grinning at him and say, "You know, in this state you could probably get arrested for that," pointing at Xander's shirt. 

Xander sat down at the seat across from Lucas and let out a loud sigh. "I really prefer something along the line of _you really light up the room_, but yeah, I've been told that before. My friend Buffy liked to call me fashionably challenged, although I take offense to that." He really didn't think about it before he said it, but as soon as he spoke Buffy's name the hurt that made him leave Sunnydale came rushing back and hit him like a sledgehammer. His face fell a little, and he tried hard not to show his upset. Lucas laughed at Xander's response, but quickly realized that Xander's mood had shifted. Feeling a little uneasy about the sudden stop of conversation, Xander said, "Besides, it was the only thing that was still clean enough to pass the smell test."

Lucas nodded and bit his lower lip, debating whether or not to ask his next question. On the one hand he did not want to be nosy, but hearing the name of Xander's friend and seeing how Xander went from a good mood to being upset and quiet, he decided that it might make sense for him to bring it up. He cleared his throat. "Xander, I know it's really none of my business, and if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, just tell me so and I won't ask again, but that friend of yours, Buffy? Is everything alright between you and her?"

The question caught Xander off guard. _Just great. Three thousand miles away and you still manage to bring me down, Buffy. Not only does the pure mention of your name bring back all those memories I just would like to forget, but no, it gets even better. Now people that don't even know you pick up on the vibe and ask about it. Picture-fucking perfect, isn't it? I really don't want to have this conversation right now. _ Outwardly, he tried to keep his reaction neutral. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, on the one hand you seem pretty, I don't know, upset or something after bringing up her name. And on the other hand…" Lucas said and looked around to make sure that nobody was listening in on their conversation before leaning forward and continuing with a lowered voice, "I heard you scream her name in your sleep last night when I went to the kitchen to get some water."

_ Shit, _ Xander thought. _ So much for that._ He stared at the table, wondering how to respond and how much he was willing to reveal, if anything at all. Lucas leaned back slightly in his chair, not wanting to prod anymore and giving Xander some space if he wanted to back out of answering. Eventually, Xander looked up at Lucas, his eyes revealing the sadness that he refused to show on his face. "Let's just say she's someone I used to care about a lot."

Lucas nodded sympathetically, not believing Xander's use of the past tense, but also not willing to press the point. "What happened?"

Xander shrugged and let out a bitter laugh. Knowing that he could never reveal any details from his life in Sunnydale, he contemplated how to put it into words without saying too much. Eventually, he said, "She did a couple of things that just showed me what she really thought of me. I guess I got tired of being disrespected and taken for granted."

"I'm sorry, Xander. I just want you to know that if you need someone to talk to about things, I'm available."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate that."

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
18 August 1999 – 23:49 EDT**

"Thanks for coming on such a short notice, Angel. I hope the flight arrangements we provided weren't too uncomfortable," Theo said and ushered Angel into the apartment.

Itio had provided cargo transportation for Angel from Los Angeles International Airport to Dulles International Airport in Washington, followed by freight truck delivery to Tree Hill. While it wasn't the best way to travel, it reduced the risks of any potential travel delays that would extend the flight beyond sunrise, posing a real danger for the vampire. And with heavy Sabbat attacks in the region, Washington D.C. was the closest airport under Camarilla control that was still considered safe for kindred to come through.

Angel nodded at Theo as he entered the apartment, his usual broodiness even more evident tonight. He waited for Theo to close and secure the door before following him into the living room.

"I believe you met before," Theo said and pointed at Itio, who was sitting at the kitchen table and studied a myriad of files that had arrived over the course of the past day.

Angel nodded again. "Yes, we have." He hesitated slightly before continuing, "Look, Theo, I'm not sure what you want from me. But before we start, I want to make a few things clear. One, we are even after this and my debt to you has been repaid in full, and two, you better be straight with me on this one because if you are not, all bets are off. Xander doesn't deserve to be killed by you or any of Paschek's other archons because he rubbed one of you the wrong way, or whatever the hell it is he did that got him into this mess."

Theo exchanged a look with Itio, who shrugged and said, "We need to know, Theophilus. This might be the best chance we have."

The archon of Clan Brujah knew that Itio was right. If Angel was willing to cooperate fully, they most likely would get more of their questions answered in a shorter period of time. And time was running out, according to the latest updates on the Sabbat advancement. Charleston had been overrun the previous night, with widespread destruction and mayhem of kindred-related locations and homes. The move had basically put their location in Tree Hill behind enemy lines into Sabbat territory. "Agreed. While we don't have a lot of time, this is what happened."

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
19 August 1999 – 01:22 EDT**

Angel sat silently at the table, starring at the page in front of him. He felt a headache coming on and had trouble concentrating on the words on the sheet of paper he was holding. For the umpteenth time since his arrival in Tree Hill he wondered just how his view of the world, and particularly of Xander, had been turned upside down in a matter of minutes. _ I don't think I ever knew him at all. I think none of us did, not even Buffy or Willow. How could we not have noticed anything? _

He finished reading, closed the classified intelligence file and spoke up, his eyes still staring at the table in front of him, "It's possible, Theo. Something like you described has happened before. When I had lost control to the beast I went to the hospital in Sunnydale to kill the slayer. Xander was there, and he blocked my way. Told me I had to go through him, daring me to find out if I could make it with all the police and staff that were around. I tried to subdue him, to make him regret that he even dared getting in my way."

He swallowed the lump he was feeling in his throat, the tone in his voice clearly showing that he was anything but proud of that incident. "I wanted him to cower before me, or see him run away, panicked by my mere presence. I could smell the fear reeking from his body, heard his heart pounding quickly in his chest. But when I looked into his eyes, I felt like I was being slapped in the face. That strength, that resolve…" Angel trailed off. After a few seconds he finally looked up and straight at Theo and Itio. "I wanted to break his spirit, but in the end, he broke mine with nothing but a look. I turned around and left."

Theo looked somberly at Itio, who had a thoughtful expression on his face and kept nodding his head while contemplating the news. His thoughts were interrupted when his beeper went off, indicating that a message had been received. Itio took it off the table and pressed a button, reading the message quickly before getting to his feet. "I'm afraid we have trouble coming our way. A large pack has been spotted entering town. It looks like a cleaner team."

Theo was already on his feet, slipping into his leather jacket and grapping his SPAS-12 combat shotgun. "Fucking sweepers," he muttered under his breath while motioning for Angel to follow him into the next room. Pulling open the door to a walk-in closet, he stepped inside and turned on the light, revealing a surprisingly large weapons cache.

"Grab whatever suits you," Theo said to Angel before pulling out several phosphorous grenades and extra ammunition for the shotgun. Angel surveyed the assembled weapons and whistled impressedly. He eventually opted for a Heckler & Koch MP5K submachine gun with special flare ammunition and a nice sword with a slender blade for close combat.

A minute later Theo and Angel were on the back of a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle, speeding off into the night.

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
19 August 1999 – 01:45 EDT**

Edgardo had already made up his mind. He hated this town, like the town the night before and the ones before that. Places that had no importance to him to start with and that would be even more meaningless to him when he left again after a few hours. He silently cursed whoever had made the decision to assign his pack to this task. There was no challenge in flushing out the remnants of the enemy that was currently being defeated in other places. Not that he questioned the rationale behind their orders; he knew that they should eradicate the Camarilla presence as thoroughly as possible in the areas that they had conquered. It was simply that he considered the task beneath him.

There was no conversation going on between him and the three vampires that were with him. They had done this routine many times, and the scouting reports they had received at the beginning of the night had been thorough in pointing out possible hideouts and points of interest. The pack had split up into several groups shortly after entering the town proper, and so far the night had been uneventful. Not that Edgardo had expected to meet any resistance, but he had hoped for some entertainment at least.

They rounded a corner into a side alley on the way to their next target location when they found their way blocked by a dark figure pacing the width of the alley before them. Edgardo heard one of his packmates, Ox, chuckle and make a joke about dinner being served early tonight as they slowly and confidently approached the stranger.

As they got closer the dark figure stopped pacing, but did not turn toward them. Even though the moonlight did not reach into the alleyway to illuminate the scene, the pack of vampires had no problem noticing the details about the man in front of them. Shoulder long black hair was falling freely down his head and hid his face. He was wearing dark jeans and a black tightly fitting t-shirt under a full-length black leather duster. To their surprise, he started talking in a low voice when they were within earshot.

"I used to be afraid of the dark when I was a child. There was something forbidding about it, like darkness being more than the absence of light. But then I grew up and I realized that there were no such things as monsters that lurk in the shadows." He turned toward them, the hair in front of his face parting to reveal white make-up covering his face. Black mascara and lipstick was applied extensively around his eyes and lips, giving him an eerie and almost threatening appearance. His lips pursed into a wicked smile as he looked at the vampires in front of him. "Or are there?" he asked them.

Ox laughed as he moved his massive body towards the stranger. At six foot ten he towered over the man in front of him. "You are quite a freak, you know that? But to be nice I'll answer your question. Yes, there are fucking monsters out here." He paused slightly while looking back at Edgardo, who gave him a slight nod. Turning back toward the stranger in front of him, he struck his hands forward into the man's stomach, the razor-sharp claws of his hands easily penetrating the skin and flesh. "Congratulations, you just met some of them."

The man let out an agonizing scream of terror and pain as Ox's hands moved further into his body. The pack broke into a howl of laughter, and Ox reveled in the bloodshed and pain he was causing. But then the scream of agony changed. Slowly, at first almost unnoticeably, the scream died down and was replaced by a chuckle that quickly turned into hearty laughter. Ox did a double take of the form in front of him to make sure he wasn't imagining things as his hand and claws still moved inside the stranger's body.

The man stopped laughing, looked up at Ox and said, "That really hurt! But now it's my turn!" Before the large vampire had a chance to react, the man's hand thrust forward and entered his chest, easily breaking through the rib cage as the fingers quickly found and enclosed the heart. A sense of panic and nausea mixed in with the pain Ox was feeling. But just as quickly as it had started the pain suddenly stopped as Ox's heart was being ripped from his body and he crumbled into a pile of ash and dust.

The remaining three vampires were momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events. They were brought out of their daze when the stranger turned to them and said, "He was right. You are monsters."

Edgardo was the first to react. "Take that fucker down!" he yelled to his packmates while his hands moved to the Uzi under his coat. "I'll make you pay for that, asshole! Your death will be slow and painful," Serena spat out as she stormed forward, two wickedly-shaped daggers in hand. Her vitae was flowing into her limbs, the raw power tightening her grip on her weapons and speeding up her movements to the point where they became too fast to follow for the human eye. Meanwhile, the third vampire stepped into the shadows and vanished from sight, the gift of obfuscate hovering over him as he started to circle around their assailant.

Serena was the first to reach the man, both daggers slashing out with lightning speed in a wide arch aimed at his eyes and stomach. To her surprise, the stranger rather easily sidestepped her attack, the movement causing her to lose her balance and stumble a step forward, bringing her right next to him. Before she had a chance to turn back and slash out again, she felt his hands solidly grapping her head by the temples and she heard his voice whisper in her ear, "Pain is your gift, and pain is all you shall know from here on." Serena's head exploded in agony and she screamed out at the top of her lungs as, in a matter of seconds, she relived the pain she had caused to all of her victims throughout the years. She didn't notice the onset of gunfire from Edgardo as he sprayed the area with bullets, some of which hit her. She never felt the daggers being taken from her sliding form, or saw them cutting off the Nosferatu's head as he tried to sneak up on the stranger. Her consciousness eradicated, she never saw the look of disbelief on Edgardo's face as he finished emptying the full magazine of his submachine gun into the stranger without so much as slowing him down.

The stranger stepped over the whimpering form of Serena, now nothing more than an empty shell to a shattered mind, and moved toward Edgardo, daggers in hand. "Death will find you another night," the stranger said and paused slightly, looking down to his chest. Edgardo followed his gaze. Through the torn and bullet-ridden shirt, he clearly could see the bullet wounds closing as fresh skin grew over them within seconds. The large stomach wound, where Ox's claws had torn into the flesh, was gone. _ That's not possible! What the fuck is this thing? _ Edgardo thought. The stranger then continued to steadily move toward Edgardo, his voice getting angrier with every word. "You go and tell them. Tell them that I will come for them. No matter where they hide, no matter how far they run. I will come for them and make them pay. I will kill them all."

Edgardo nodded, a feeling of panic in his stomach. He cleared his throat. "And when they ask me who you are, what do you want me to say?"

The man's face twisted into a grin as he spoke again, "In the moment of their death they'll know. Now go! Tell them that they are not alone in the shadows any longer. Tell them to be afraid of the dark."

Edgardo turned around and ran. When he looked back over his shoulder the stranger was gone. Retreating to a pre-destined meeting point at the edge of town, he waited for the rest of his pack to return. After about an hour he heard the muffled sound of gunfire and small explosions from across town, but it quickly subsided. Hours passed, and as dawn grew closer Edgardo knew that nobody would come to join him. _ I hate this town. _

**

* * *

**

**SSN-773 Cheyenne, Los Angeles-class attack submarine  
160 miles southeast of Washington D.C.  
19 August 1999 – 04:22 EDT**

Lieutenant Sanchez was almost running through the narrow isles of the nuclear submarine towards the captain's quarters, a computer printout in hand. Crewmen were giving him a surprised look but moved out of his way immediately. He did not return their greetings, his mind too preoccupied with the message he was holding. When he arrived outside the captain's door, he straightened his uniform and knocked loudly. "Captain, this is Lieutenant Sanchez. We just received an urgent message from North Atlantic Command."

The door opened quickly and a tired-looking Commander Livingston wordlessly took the offered sheet of paper. Pulling a pair of reading glasses out of the chest pocket of his uniform, he unfolded the message and read it. The content immediately blew any feeling of tiredness away. "Has this message been confirmed?"

"Aye, captain. Security codes have been validated. We have the target on track 8 miles away."

Commander Livingston picked up the intercom in his cabin and called the bridge. "This is the captain. Sound the alarm and order all crew to full battle stations. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill." Almost immediately an alarm sounded and red lights began flashing throughout the ship, causing an outburst of frantic activity as all crewmembers dropped whatever they were doing and moved to their designated station.

A minute later the captain entered the bridge, with Lieutenant Sanchez in tow. "Gentlemen, we have just been alerted by North Atlantic Command that a ship in our quadrant with course towards Washington D.C. is manned by terrorists and carries a chemical weapon of mass destruction. We have been ordered to intercept and destroy the target immediately before it gets any closer to land. This is not a drill. This is what we've been trained for, and I expect nothing but a complete success." The bridge was silent for a moment while the news began to sink in.

First Officer Galvan was the first to break the ensuing silence. "You've heard the captain," he barked at the bridge crew. "Set an intercept course to target. Jonese, any other contacts in the area?"

"None within a 10 mile radius around target, Sir."

"Course set to 272 degrees, Sir, At intercept speed target will be in firing range in 6 minutes," another soldier called out.

A few minutes passed as the submarine silently approached its' unaware target. When they were within firing range the submarine rose to periscope depth and Commander Livingston visually identified the target.

"Tube 1 and 2 loaded and locked. Firing solution has been entered, Captain."

Commander Livingston nodded and looked around his bridge crew, all eyes resting on him. Not since the end of the cold war had he and the boat he commanded been in the position to engage an enemy vessel. While the times, and the enemies, had changed, he still felt the same anxiety about his next command. "Fire," he ordered with a solemn voice.

A slight tremble went through the boat as the two torpedoes were discharged into the dark waters. With deadly precision they crossed the distance to the small tanker, scoring direct hits just below the water line in the starboard engine compartments. The explosions nearly ripped the ship apart and started a blazing fire that lit up the night sky. Three minutes after the attack the ship was rocked by another large explosion that broke it in half. Sea water poured into the wreckage, quickly filling it and dragging it into the depth like a steel coffin. Within ten minutes of the attack the sea was dark and calm again, as a lone submarine finished a satellite transmission and prepared to resume its patrol duty.

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
19 August 1999 – 13:45 EDT**

Xander sat in Karen's Café eating a late lunch. Keith had closed down the garage early and headed home to change and get ready to go to some basketball team party at the house of Keith's brother, who also happened to be Lucas' biological father. Xander couldn't help but grin when he recalled Keith's reaction whenever his brother came up in a conversation. _ There's no love lost there.  
_

He thought about everything he had learned from Lucas about Dan and his half-brother, Nathan. It was unfortunate that they didn't get along, but Xander knew very well that being related often mattered little when it came to that.

Xander watched the activity in the street outside through the window while he was eating and noticed Haley walking up to the café, avidly talking to a tall, dark-haired guy in a Ravens basketball outfit. He couldn't help but notice how at easy Haley seemed to be at that moment. The pair stopped close to the café and turned to each other to say goodbye. The teen handed Haley the books he had been carrying for her and Haley flashed him a bright smile before saying something and getting on her toes to reach up and give the boy a quick peck on his cheek.

_ I had no idea she had a boyfriend, _Xander thought. _ They look cute together. I wonder who he is. _ He saw that the other boy kept watching Haley as she walked up to the café and then turned around to reveal number 23 and the name "Scott" stitched on the back of his jersey. _ Oh no, could this really be who I think it is? _

Haley entered the café in high spirits. Nathan had done well preparing for his upcoming history test and she was really proud of him and the effort he made.  
_ He'll be fine if he only believes in himself a little more_. The last few moments replayed in her mind. Nathan had walked her here and even offered to carry her books. They had talked about a lot of stuff, all not related to tutoring, and Haley had to admit that she had really enjoyed his company. When they said goodbye she kissed him on the cheek without thinking about it. It just felt right. Haley sighed. _ I think I'm in big trouble. _

She noticed Xander at a table near the window looking at her and waving her over. She flashed him a smile and made her way across the room. "Hey Xander. Did you get off early today?" she asked as she sat down across from him.

He nodded. "Yeah. Keith is getting ready to get himself tortured, or as he calls it, willingly spend time with the most preposterous, egotistic idiot the town has to offer," Xander said in his best Keith imitation, causing Haley to burst into laughter.

She liked Xander and his goofy ways. Always trying to lighten the mood of people around him, she had really enjoyed his regular visits to the café. They were becoming friends quickly, which is why she couldn't help but notice the curious look on his face. "What's on your mind, Xander?"

Xander shifted uncomfortable in his seat and cleared his throat. "Haley, I, uh, I'm not sure how to ask this, but you can't get mad at me, okay? But I just saw you with this guy and, well, I was wondering if that was Lucas' brother."

The smile vanished off Haley's face, and she eyed Xander carefully to see where he was going with this. Her defense mechanism sprang into action and she said, "Yeah, it was. I tutor him in school, so what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Xander answered. "It just seemed like you two were, uh, close, or something."

_ He can't know. I mean, I don't even know myself for sure how I feel about Nathan, so how could anyone else, _ Haley thought. "We are not close. We are anything but close," she said quickly. "I don't even know where you get that impression from, and quite frankly, I don't think that's any of your business even if it were so."

Xander sighed, seeing very well where this conversation was going. Having dealt with not one but two slayers for an extended period of time had taught him a lesson when it came to things people did not want known or discussed. "I know we haven't known each other very long, and you are probably right that it is none of my business, but I just want you to know that it would be ok if you do like him. Wait, that just sounded wrong. I mean, it's not like you need anyone's permission, and who the hell am I to say something to you anyway. But the one thing I know is this. If you do like him, I think you will have to talk to Lucas. You two are best friends, and this situation would be, uh, complicated. It's not that it couldn't work out just fine, but you do not want Lucas to find out from someone else," Xander said, studying Haley's face. "I mean, if there is anything to find out, of course. Ok, I'm done rambling," he said and gave Haley a nervous smile.

_ He's right. I know he's right. But Luke's going to kill me. I can't have him hate me for this. _ Haley felt panicked at the thought of having to talk to Lucas. She looked up at Xander. "I can't lose Lucas over this, Xander. I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now, but I also know that I can't just control it either. I can't even allow myself to go there, and I don't think it's an option anyway. And I certainly won't give up my friendship with Lucas for something that might never happen anyway," she admitted in a hushed voice.

Xander reached across the table and gently squeezed Haley's hand. "If he is truly the friend I've seen him be with you even in the short time I've known the both of you, you won't have to. He might be upset…" when he saw Haley's raised eyebrow, he laughed and continued, "Um, ok, scratch that, he will be upset, but he'll deal. He's a good guy and he trusts you. And at the end of the day, I believe he'll put your happiness above his own feelings."

Haley nodded and got up, suddenly feeling a sense of urgency. "Thanks, Xander. Can you cover for me here? I think I have a friend I need to talk to."

* * *

AN: I apologize for the lack of updates. This story is very much alive and being worked on. Hope to have more regular updates going forward. Feedback is very much welcome. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Tree Hill, North Carolina; 19 August 1999 – 16:22 EDT**

Xander was walking back towards the kitchen with a tray of dirty dishes in hand when heard the bell above the door ring. He looked up to see Haley enter the otherwise empty café. After she had left it took some convincing for Karen to go, as well, to get ready for the party and leave him in charge of holding down the fort. There were only a handful of customers during the time he was alone, and things had gone well.

Haley smiled when she saw Xander in his white half-apron balancing a tray full of dishes. "Looking good, Xander. I think we found your hidden talent," she teased him.

"It takes one to know one," he shot back at her with a grin. "You are just in time to help me with washing these dishes."

Haley laughed and walked over to him. "You know, I think one of us has to man the counter in case we actually have customers coming in. And I wouldn't want to deprive you of the experience."

"Nice one, Haley," Xander said and disappeared into the kitchen. After a minute he came out into the café again and asked, "How did things go with Lucas?"

"Actually, better than I feared. You know, you were right, Xander. He freaked out a little, but then he said he understood. It's really all I could ask for. Thank you for talking to me earlier and pointing things out to me. Couldn't have done it without you."

Xander shook his head. "Yeah, you could. But if you want to express your gratitude in other ways, there's a dishtowel with your name on it waiting for you," he said, grinning at her broadly.

**

* * *

A military installation somewhere under Sunnydale, California; 19 August 1999 – 15:59 PDT**

"Full system scan has been completed, Sir. All tracers have come up empty. We still can't determine how the files were accessed. Lieutenant Davis has completed the database review and this is the list of files accessed in the same manner. All 8 files are related to Project Progeny," Corporal Meyers stated and handed a printout over to his commanding officer.

"Have all primary subjects been located and placed under surveillance?"

"Sir, all but one primary target have been located, with full level two surveillance procedures in place. However, we have not been able to locate target number 7, Alexander Harris, through standard measures. I'm hereby requesting permission to activate target's locator chip and utilize Alpha Team for surveillance and possible retrieval of subject."

"Very good, Corporal. Permission granted. You have full satellite and network access for this mission. Dismissed."

**

* * *

Tree Hill, North Carolina; 19 August 1999 – 20:09 EDT**

"Okay, Karen. We'll be there in 10 minutes," Haley said into the phone and hung up. She looked at Xander, who was eying her curiously. "There's been a mix-up at the party and they didn't get their cakes. Looks like we have to close down here and make an emergency delivery to save them from sugar-deprivation."

"Great. I'll drive," Xander said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Hm, why is it again you are stuck here in Tree Hill? Oh right. Don't even think about getting behind the wheel of my mom's car," Haley told him and laughed when she saw the expression of mock hurt on Xander's face.

* * *

Lucas moved through the crowd of people, his eyes searching the room. He felt confused by the events of the past couple of hours. The party so far had been fun for the most part. He had tried and find an opportunity to talk to Peyton, but it never really worked out. She looked stunning in her black spaghetti-strapped dress and had taken Lucas' breath away for a moment when he first saw her. They had thrown longing looks across the room to each other, but whenever he tried to get closer to her someone had interrupted him and kept him away.

Brooke had practically thrown herself at him and it took a lot of self-control for Lucas to not take her up on her offer to join her for a private skinny-dipping in her Jacuzzi. And then he'd seen Nathan and Peyton starting to talk again, with Brooke eagerly telling him that they were in the process of getting back together.

Lucas thought about Brooke as he was exiting the house into the extensive backyard of the Scott estate. She seemed so angry earlier when she'd come out of the house and, obviously drunk, started a game of Truth or Dare. _Or maybe just dare, 'cause nobody really tells the truth anymore_, he remembered her saying.

He cringed at the thought of what had happened next. Brooke had dared Peyton to kiss him in front of everybody to show how she really felt about him, and to Lucas' surprise she did just that. The kiss was passionate, almost desperate with a deep longing, but almost as soon as his surprise had worn off Peyton broke off the kiss and rushed away.

His eyes scanned the backyard and he saw a lonely figure sitting on a swing towards the far end of the yard. He walked up to Peyton and caught her attention when he got close. "So that was…" he trailed off.

She looked at him with a nervous expression on her face. "Yeah."

"What was that? A game?" he asked, sounding more angry than he wanted it to come out.

Peyton crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Kind off." She looked away briefly and then back at Lucas, a smile forming on her face. "Want to play again?" she asked and let out a laugh.

Lucas smiled back at her and they both started to lean towards each other in preparation for a kiss.

* * *

"No way," Haley laughed as they walked towards the house, each carrying a couple of boxes with cakes and pastries. "A twinkie could never match one of Karen's vanilla crème pastries."

Xander shook his head rapidly, careful not to drop any of the boxes he was carrying. "Oh, the ignorance! That's just wrong, Haley. But I can't really be mad at you; I bet no one has ever taught you how to really eat a twinkie the proper way. Well, today is your lucky day, young lady, as you've met the twinkie master. It's simple, really, and…" Xander trailed off as he took in the scene before them. They had come across a swing set in a quiet part of the backyard occupied by Lucas and a blonde girl with long curly hair, with the two of them obviously just about to kiss.

"Sorry guys, coming through," Haley said a little surprised.

Peyton turned around and Lucas looked up to Xander and Haley, both of them looking embarrassed.

"Uh, sorry, we just… um, your mom called with an SOS, so we just thought we'd sneak in the back and not bother anyone," Haley said with a smile.

"You guys need any help," Lucas asked.

"No, we are good and you, um, you've got your hands full, so don't mind us and just carry on," Haley said slightly uncomfortable and started walking past the couple.

Xander thought it was better not to add anything and just nodded to Lucas before following Haley into the house.

"Everything you need for a first-class sugar coma," Haley announced as they entered the kitchen and set down the boxes on the counter.

Deb let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Oh, let's see." She opened one of the boxes and admired the various pieces of cake. "Oh, these cakes are gorgeous. Who makes these?"

"These guys," Karen smiled and held up her hands, obviously pleased with the reaction.

"Thank you both for bringing these over," Deb said to Xander and Haley. "The caterers can take it from here. Go join your friends. Have some food."

"No, that's okay. We have to get back, anyway. I'm still on the clock," Haley responded. She was uncomfortable staying with a crowd she wasn't really a part of, and the likely possibility of running into Nathan was both frightening and exciting. _Definitly more frightening than exciting. _ She'd already been on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride today because of her growing feelings for him, and she didn't want to push her luck.

"Did you lock up when you left, turn off the coffee machine?" Karen asked. Seeing Haley's nod, she said, "Well, then you're off the clock. Now go, have fun. It only comes around once."

Haley sighed in defeat. _ There goes my excuse. _ "Okay." She motioned for Xander to follow her as she walked out of the kitchen. "Alright, twinkie king. Let's see who we can find here to mingle with."

**

* * *

A military installation somewhere under Sunnydale, California; 19 August 1999 – 17:43 PDT**

"Sir, we've located the target. He's in North Carolina," Corporal Meyers reported.

"Good work, Corporal. Is the tracking chip still fully functional?"

"Sir, we've remotely activated the chip and it is linked to both long and short-ranged systems. The biometric readout is somewhat inconclusive though, with several parameters outside the defined standard ranges. Given the age of the implant the data could very well be false due to a malfunction."

"Or it could be correct, and PP-7 is finally waking up," the commanding officer responded with a hint of excitement in his voice. "Send the team. Have them monitor the situation. They are authorized to extract the subject, if the need arises."

"Yes, Sir."

**

* * *

Tree Hill, North Carolina; 19 August 1999 – 21:17 EDT**

Brooke felt angry and hurt by the events of the past hours. Despite her best efforts to get with Lucas he had brushed her off time and again. _I threw myself at him, basically offered him the time of his life. By now we should be screwing in my Jacuzzi, but all he's interested in is ogling at Peyton from across the room. She is soooo not his type._ She wandered around the house, feeling sorry for herself and drinking from an almost empty plastic cup of vodka and coke in an attempt to numb the pain and loneliness inside.

When she entered one of the hallways she noticed Nathan and Haley walking past. Brooke felt like lashing out, and with any restraint removed by the large amount of liquor she had had, here was her chance. When she and Tim had looked for more liquor in Nathan's room they had found a little study kit Haley had put together for Nathan, and the note in it gave Brooke all the ammunition she needed. "Tutor girl," Brooke called out.

Haley sighed and turned around. "It's Haley," she said.

Nathan had a bad feeling about what was about to happen and tried to step in. "Brooke…"

Brooke ignored Nathan, her eyes fixed on Haley. "Haley, right. Nathan's own personal little care package." She watched as Haley seemed to get nervous and the crowd around them took notice of the conversation. "Everything starts to make so much more sense now. You two are adorable. What was my favorite part? _Believing you'll do well is half the battle_," she quoted from Haley's note.

Haley felt confused, panicked and hurt. _Oh my god. How did she know that? How the hell did Brooke, of all people, know about my note? _

Brooke was on a roll by now, turning her attention to Nathan who looked completely confused by what Brooke was referring to, as he had not yet looked into the care package and had no idea it contained a personal note from Haley. "You know, Tutor Girl's little love note you passed around earlier, the one that said, "Call me if you need anything…." Brooke looked at Haley, a smirk on her face, "… at all."

There was laughter from the crowd around them. Nathan felt like slapping Brooke, but his real concern was for Haley. He stepped in front of her, trying to explain that that was not true. He would never do that to her. "Alright, Haley, I…"

Haley looked at him in shock and disbelieve. _They were right. They all told me to be careful, warned me that he would hurt me. How could I have been so stupid to think he was any different? How could he do that to me?_ "Stay away from me," was all she managed to say before she turned around and quickly left the house just as the tears started flowing down her face.

* * *

"I'll definitely come by over the next couple of days," Jake promised. "After all I can't wait to team up with the man who defeated Lucas at his own game."

Xander shrugged, slightly embarrassed. "I got lucky and I had a great partner."

Jake laughed. From what Lucas had told him about his basketball game on the River Court, it was a little bit more than just luck. "Whatever you say, Xander. Whatever you say."

* * *

Brooke wandered aimlessly through the house. By now she was completely wasted and had a hard time walking properly. She thought that expressing her hurt, even if it meant hurting someone else, was going to make her feel better, but it didn't. Despite her intoxication she was keenly aware that her little stunt earlier had been devastating for Haley. Seeing the pain in her eyes made Brooke only feel worse, even if she could never admit that. Nathan was pissed at her, and rightfully so. Of course, she shrugged him off when he told her that her games were getting old and that she should go home and sleep it off.

She came to a halt near the entrance and had to lean on the wall for a second to regain her balance. When she felt a little more stable on her feet, she looked around and saw Lucas coming across the room. She took a couple of steps towards him, determined to not give up on hooking up with him tonight. "Lucas," she said, a seductive smile on her face.

Lucas looked at Brooke and shook his head, barely slowing down. He felt suffocated in this house after he had confessed his feelings to Peyton while they were making out heavily only to have her accusing him of ruining it and running away. He needed to get out and Brooke was the last thing he wanted to deal with right then. "Come on, Brooke. Not now," he told her and walked past her and out of the house.

Brooke looked after him, clearly feeling rejected and hurt. Her eyes lingered on the door Lucas went through. _Why doesn't he want me? What's so special about Peyton that I don't have? It's not like I asked him for anything that represents any commitment? I just want to have some fun!_ She turned around and started smiling when she saw Jake and another tall dark-haired boy she'd never seen before talk nearby. _This night might be some fun after all, _ Brooke thought as she started to wander over. "Jake… Jake, Jake, Jake," Brooke said when she approached them.

"Oh, Brooke, Brooke, Brooke," Jake answered and smiled, only his eyes displaying the sadness he felt when he looked at her.

Brooke almost stumbled and had to hold on to Jake's tie to steady herself. "I'm drunk and you'll do," she announced as he started to pull him closer.

Jake had known Brooke for a long time and knew how she was at these parties. She had earned a reputation of being easy and a lot of fun, and many guys had been the lucky recipient of her attention. It wasn't that Jake didn't feel attracted to her, but from what he had seen it appeared as if Brooke never was the one getting the good end of the deal, and he liked her too much to use her like that. He brought up his hands and gently removed Brooke's grip on his tie. "Oh, hey, it's quite an honor, but I got to be somewhere."

Brooke turned to Xander. "What about you, handsome?"

"Me?" Xander asked with surprise. "I don't even know you."

Brooke's smile widened. "Here's your chance to change that and get to know me very well," she said seductively.

Xander felt uneasy about the girl's bluntness, and having Jake witness the whole thing didn't help his comfort level. She was stunningly attractive, but obviously quite drunk, and the last thing he wanted was to take advantage of her. "As tempting as this sounds I don't think this is a good idea," he said as he looked back at Brooke.

Brooke let out a bitter laugh as the evening and the alcohol started to catch up with her. "I can't believe this. Every guy is turning gay on me tonight!" She threw a last look at Jake and Xander and started to unsteadily walk towards the exit, grabbing her purse on the way out. "Fine. I don't need any of you," she muttered under her breath and started to rummage through her purse as she walked down the driveway.

"Is she alright?" Xander asked with concern in his voice.

Jake shrugged, unsure how to respond. "She's Brooke," he stated matter-of-factly. "She's been like that for a long time. I just sometimes don't think this is really who she is." They started walking out of the house and down the driveway towards the street. "I'm glad you reacted the way you did. A lot of guys would not have said no to her, you know? So why did you?" Jake asked curiously.

Xander shrugged. "It didn't feel right. I don't want to use someone and hurt them in the process. It's just not me. What about you?"

"Same thing. And she deserves a lot better than that." There was a pause as both teenagers reflected on that statement for a moment. "Anyway, it was great meeting you and we are definitely on for a match or two this weekend. Have a great night, Xander."

Xander shook hands with Jake and responded, "Thanks, you too." He watched Jake climb into his car and drive off. The night air was fresh and crisp and the sounds of the party could faintly be heard coming from the Scott house. He looked back to the residence, debating if he should go back in again. _I don't think we had parties like that in high school back in old Sunny D. It's certainly a bit different from going Bronzing. _ The memories of his old life in California and of his friends came back with those thoughts and he decided against returning to the house. _Maybe Bronzing was better than this anyway. _

He walked down the street past a row of parked cars when the relative silence of the night was disrupted by the sounds of someone throwing up, followed by a pained moan. Xander walked around the parked VW Beetle to find Brooke kneeling on the ground, one hand holding her hair out of her face while the other steadied her body from moving too much. She had her eyes closed and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Not trying to startle her with his sudden appearance, Xander took a step towards Brooke and squatted down to her level. "Brooke, are you ok?" he asked her softly, his voice full of concern.

Brooke opened her eyes slightly and raised her head to see who was talking to her. Her sight settled on Xander and she quickly tried to get up, almost causing her to stumble and lose her balance again. She took a step backwards and bumped into her car, stopping her movement and momentarily stabilizing her. Her head was spinning, but she wasn't drunk beyond the point to not feel embarrassed that someone saw her like this. "I'm fine," she said weakly and forced a smile.

Xander got up again, clearly unconvinced. "Do you want me to bring you home?"

"No, I'm fine," Brooke said more forcefully and shook her head. The movement caused her to suddenly feel even dizzier. Her knees started buckling in and she was about to fall forward when Xander grabbed her and held her steady while nausea overtook her again and she forcefully threw up again. "I'm sorry," she stated when she was done and had regained some control. "I'm not feeling very good."

"No worries. I'm taking you home," Xander stated while holding her in his arms. "Do you have a car here or do we have to walk?"

Brooke raised her arm and pointed to the VW Beetle. Xander opened the passenger door and helped Brooke get into her seat. He leaned inside and buckled her seatbelt before closing her door. Walking around the car he noticed Brooke's purse on the ground. Some of the content had fallen out when she had first thrown up, and he searched the area for any of her belongings before getting into the car. Brooke was sitting with her eyes closed, breathing rhythmically.

"So, where do you live, Brooke," he asked her as he started the car. When he got no answer he looked over to her to see that she had fallen asleep. _This is gonna be fun_ he thought sarcastically, starting to look through her purse for a driver's license or anything with an address on it.

* * *

It took Xander quite some time to find Brooke's home. The house sat prominently towards the end of cul-de-sac in the affluent part of town, and Xander was quite impressed by the sheer size of the property when he pulled into the driveway. _Must be nice to come from money_, he thought and looked over to Brooke's sleeping form. _Let's hope her parents sleep tightly, otherwise I'll be in deep shit._

Xander got out of the car, opened the passenger door and gently lifted Brooke from her seat. She stirred slightly but didn't wake up when he carried her over to the house. He fumbled with the keys while Brooke was nestled in his arms and finally found the right one to open the door. Stepping into the dark and quiet foyer, Xander was relieved when no alarm went off and no voices or footsteps could be heard.

Guessing that the bedrooms were most likely on the second floor he carefully carried Brooke up the wide staircase. Several of the doors in the second floor hallway were open and, after stopping briefly to listen for any sounds or movement, he quietly started to look for her room. It didn't take him long to find it and, with a sigh of relief, he put Brooke down on her bed. Her form was illuminated by the moonlight that was streaming into the room and Xander couldn't help but notice how pretty and peaceful she seemed. His eyes wandered down her legs and he was surprised to see that she must have scraped her knees earlier when he had found her since he saw some dried blood on both of her legs.

Not wanting to leave her like that he looked around the room and saw that she had her own private bathroom. He went inside and wet a wash cloth with some warm water. Sitting down next to her on the bed he gently started to clean her wounds, trying his best not to wake her up. When he was done he covered her with a blanket and, with one last look, turned to leave.

"Don't go," he heard Brooke mumble in a timid voice. Surprised, he turned around to see her still lying in bed with her eyes closed, breathing rhythmically and clearly not really awake. "Nobody ever stays. Everybody just always leaves me," she muttered sleepily.

Xander studied her intently. The hurt and fragility in her voice triggered something inside of him, and after a moment of contemplation he realized what it was. The outward appearance of being tough and in control and the underlying vulnerability and insecurity; she reminded him of Faith. _I could have saved her if I only had tried harder. But I didn't. What happened to her is partly my fault because I failed her. _ He looked at Brooke sleeping silently before him. _It won't happen again._

**

* * *

Atlanta, Georgia; 20 August 1999 – 01:29 EDT**

Archbishop Francisco Domingo de Polonia looked around the busy board room that was erupting in with another loud argument between two rival warlords over who was best suited for the assault on one of the primary Washington D.C. targets. With over fourty kindred and a dozen ghouls in attendance, the Sabbat War Council sessions were usually loud, violent and somewhat chaotic affairs. He contemplated to just sit back and see which of the two warlords was going to survive the fight that was sure to come when one of the messenger ghouls approached him and handed him an envelope.

He opened it curiously and read the short message. Anger swept over him like a tidal wave and he sprung to his feet, seeking an outlet. The ghoul in front of him never saw what hit him when Polonia's fist connected with his head, crushing this skull and sending his dead body flying across the room to land with a wet thud in the middle of the main conference table, splattering the area with blood. The room fell quiet, with all eyes shifting to the unexpected source of violence.

"The Demeter was destroyed last night en route to Washington," he said through clenched teeth while he regained his composure. "We lost all reinforcements that were on board." Letting the news sink in briefly he asked, "What other possible staging areas do we have identified for our other transports? Deepwater harbor within secured territory, but no major ports. Nothing too close to D.C. to attract attention but close enough to make our push north."

Hectic activity broke out as kine and kindred scrambled to provide an answer. The overhead beamer sprang to life and projected a map of the eastern seaboard into the wall. Gradually the map zoomed into the Mid-Atlantic States and variously colored markers representing troop movements and current areas of conflict popped up. More and more data was overlaid into the map and eventually one location started blinking in bright yellow. The Archbishop paced in front of the projection while he studied the map, his eyes settling on the designated location. Pointing at it he turned around and asked, "Has the town be cleared?"

"One of our packs went through last night. We haven't received an update yet but they are reliable. Whatever resistance was there is long gone by now."

He nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Redirect the other ship and set up operations immediately. We are moving our supply base to Tree Hill, North Carolina."

**

* * *

Tree Hill, North Carolina; 20 August 1999 – 02:03 EDT**

The hyena spirit was wandering its host's mind, searching for an opening, looking for a weakness that would allow it to regain control. It wondered why it felt so listless, the memory of the recent challenge still fresh in its mind. As it kept moving a feeling of unease came over it. It stopped and looked around, sniffing the air. Out of the corner of its eyes it saw a blurred movement, but when it turned its head to investigate it did not see anything.

It started pacing across the area, carefully scanning its surroundings. It felt that it was being watched, but it couldn't figure out by whom. It started to run, trying to escape the unsettling presence, but no matter where it went the feeling would only very briefly go away. Arriving at a clearing in a densely overgrown part of the woods, it stopped to throw its head back and howl in anger and frustration. And then it saw him.

The man stepped out of the thick undergrowth that he had perfectly blended into a second before, a submachine gun expertly trained at the hyena. Their eyes interlocked and the hyena took a step forward, a threatening growl escaping its throat. The man ever so slowly shook his head slightly, his eyes boring into his target.

Stopping its advance, the hyena considered the unspoken statement, and after a few seconds, turned around and started to walk away. When it looked back over its shoulder the man was gone, even if his presence was clearly still there. Yes, it was no longer alone in its host's mind. It had to be careful, knowing that its actions would be watched, but the newcomer might prove helpful after all. Escape was still an option; it would just have to be more patient.

* * *

Author's note: I finally managed to get this new part done. Hopefully, the next parts will come more quickly. Feedback is always welcome and I very much appreciate the comments I have received for chapter 5. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Author's notes: I know it's been a long time since I updated last, but I hope you are enjoying this new chapter. I wanted to thank everybody for their feedback on chapter 6 and would appreciate your feedback on the new part. As always, questions, praise and criticism are most welcome welcome.

Italics denote thoughts.

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
20 August 1999 – 02:44 EDT**

Xander's eyes shot open and he looked around the moonlit room, temporarily confused by his surroundings. He tried to calm his breathing and shake the terrible memories from his head that had caused him to wake from his short and restless slumber. His eyes settled on Brooke who was sleeping calmly on her bed, her facial expression at ease and a small smile showing on her lips. _She's lucky. At least her worries don't follow her into her dreams. _

He gave Brooke one last look before he quietly rose from his seat and walked over to the open window. The blinds had only been partially shut to allow the night air to enter the room. The sound of crickets chirping filled the warm summer night as Xander started to reflect on the life he had left behind in California and about how he was always painfully reminded of it no matter how far he tried to get away. _But maybe being reminded of what you are trying to run away from is a good thing. Because it shows you how you've failed._ He looked back to Brooke's sleeping form. _And how you sometimes might get another chance to make things right._

* * *

**Interstate 17, North Carolina  
20 August 1999 - 03:19 EDT**

Doug pulled his Kawasaki ZXR motorcycle into the gas station along Interstate 17 and came to a stop at the pump, killing the engine. As expected, the station had very little activity at this hour and after quickly scanning his surroundings he got off his bike and removed his helmet.

He had been going up and down the same fifty mile stretch of highway for the better part of the night on the lookout for any Sabbat transports heading north towards Virginia and Washington D.C. Last night he and the other Camarilla scouts had managed to identify and intercept several small groups of ghouls and vampires. It had been messy, and they had suffered some losses within their ranks. TJ had been ripped apart by a Sabbat Gangrel and Scotty died when the car he was using as cover had been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and exploded.

Doug went inside the station to prepay for his gas. Moving through racks of magazines and packaged food he approached the counter in the back of the store to find it deserted. "Hello," he called out without getting an answer. "Anybody here?"

"Anybody here?" a hoarse voice asked from behind him.

Doug whirled around, his hand reaching for the gun that was tucked into his shoulder holster. The sight before him would have made his heart skip a few beats if it were indeed still beating and his brain tried to register the information his eyes took in.

The entranceway was blocked by a giant monstrosity of roughly human shape. The body was covered in chitineous plates that were adorned by dangerously looking spikes several inches in length. The head was mostly hidden by a black leather mask that reminded Doug of some bad S&M porn, and the mouth seemed out of proportion and too large for the rest of the head. The monster was splattered with blood and pieces of flesh and the stench assaulted Doug's senses. The thing opened its mouth to reveal hundreds of needle-thin teeth. "Anybody here?" it asked again, the tone mocking and full of amusement.

Beckoning to the power of the blood inside of him, Doug pulled out his .44 Magnum and opened fire, pulling the trigger in rapid succession. His movements accelerated by his vitae he rapidly started to run towards the storefront window. He knew he wouldn't be able to kill this thing, whatever it was, but he hoped it would be slowed down by the bullets to give him a chance to slip by and crash through the window.

The bullets harmlessly glanced of the abomination's chitineous plates and ricocheted into the room. It roared in anger and, with surprising agility, moved to intercept Doug's path of travel. A spiked fist lashed out, aiming right at Doug's head. Doug saw the movement out of the corner of his eye and made a running dive out of the way. The move changed his direction slightly but he managed to use his momentum to finish rolling out of the way and come up to his feet quickly. He heard another thunderous roar right behind him and didn't dare turning his head to see how close the monster was. His sight solely set on the windowed storefront less than twenty feet away he moved forward with all the speed he could muster. _Just get the fuck out of here,_ he thought. _Into the aisle, quick left, quick right between the sales racks and through the glass._

He raced into the center aisle and, like a football player trying to evade the tackle, abruptly turned left, fully aware that the beast was right on his tail. Fifteen feet to go. Two steps took him to the narrow aisle of magazine racks leading him to freedom. Dashing to his right he turned into the aisle and prepared himself to lunge through the window. Twelve feet. He could see his reflection in the window pane and nearly slipped when he saw the giant form right behind him. Nine feet. _I'll make it. Just a few more steps._

Two more steps into the aisle it suddenly seemed to get narrower, and before he had a chance to realize what was happening the rack of magazines came crushing down and slammed him to the ground. His momentum caused his body to slide a couple more feet across the floor, his hands reaching out to stop the movement and allow him to push himself up and keep going.

He touched something cool and looked up to see his hands on the glass the very moment a spiked foot came stomping down on his lower back, breaking his spine in a crushing blow. Doug screamed out in pain as he looked up to see the monster standing over him, laughing. He was pulled from the ground and thrown across the store, crushing into a nearby wall. _Just let it end quickly_, he thought through the haze of pain, knowing that there was no chance for him to survive the night. He wouldn't get his wish.

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
20 August 1999 - 03:31 EDT**

Xander's face was tense and he gritted his teeth as another nightmare took hold of him. He was whimpering lightly in his sleep as he twisted his head back and forth, unsuccessfully trying to shake off the horrors he was experiencing in his restless slumber.

* * *

"PP7 in sight, awaiting orders." 

The earpiece cracked into life. "Monitor target and do not engage at this point. Report any change that may warrant extraction."

Chavez shook his head in disgust but confirmed the command through the microphone attached to the side of his neck. This latest model allowed them to communicate by simply forming the words in their throat without having to actually speak them. _ That little fucker better be worth it after forcing us to come all across the country. _

From his vantage point in a heavily-wooded backyard a couple of hundred yards away, Chavez continued to watch the target through the night vision scope of his M40A3 sniper rifle. _ They should have taken these creeps in when they had the chance. It's just gonna be another mess to clean up, like the one in Columbine. _

He watched the teenager toss his head back and forth in his sleep and imagined how easy it would be to just end it right now. All it would take was one bullet from his rifle and they could go home and wait for the next mission. Chavez looked through the scope again, flicking through the zoom to bring PP7's face into full view. _ 220 yards, maybe 230 max. Let's see if I'm right. _ His right hand moved off the trigger and flicked on an infrared laser pointer to measure the exact distance. Watching the target through the scope, he saw a small red dot appear for a split second on the boy's cheek. The feeling of satisfaction as the range displayed as 224 yards quickly went away a second later as the target abruptly and without warning rolled off the window sill where he had been sleeping and out of sight.

* * *

He looked over his shoulder again but saw nothing. The jungle was filled with the usual night sounds of animals and as far as he could tell he was alone. When he didn't make out any movement, he slowly got out of his hiding spot and proceeded along the pathway in the underbrush. Slow, deliberate steps moved him forward quietly, leaving the ground undisturbed with no sign of his passing. The underbrush got lighter ahead and gave way to a large clearing in the jungle. 

Knowing that he did not have the time to circumvent it, he went into a crouch and carefully scanned the tree line on the opposite side. When he didn't detect anything suspicious after a few minutes, he decided to take the risk and slowly rose to his feet. A few steps into the clearing he heard the howling of an animal nearby. _ Shit, don't tell me they have bloodhounds out! _

He barely took another step forward when he suddenly got blinded by a red laser dot dancing across his face and down to his chest. _ Oh no, _ was all he could think of as he saw the flash from a rifle's muzzle from ahead the very moment something crushed into him from behind, causing him to fall forward. The bullet whistled over his head and barely missed him as he hit the ground. A heavy weight landed on top of him and forced the air from his lungs. Out of the corner of his eyes he could make out the face of another soldier, looking at him sternly, yelling, "You have to be more careful, it's not safe anymore. Watch your back, buddy! They are after you!" Before Xander could ask any questions his vision went dark and he felt a pain in his side. He opened his eyes again, looking around confused as he was lying on the floor near Brooke's bedroom window.

* * *

**A cavern deep under the streets of New York City  
20 August 1999 - 03:49 EDT**

"It's confirmed. The agent team for the Watcher's Council in Atlanta has been eliminated. Teams in Miami, L.A. and Sunnydale are being monitored and countermeasures are in place to divert their attention in the near-term," Emmett reported.

Calebros sat behind his desk, arms folded and listening closely. "Good," he said eventually after processing the information. "Tell Roland to keep them busy." As Emmett nodded and turned to leave, Calebros asked, "Time is running out, my friend. Are we going to be ready?"

"Yes. Dante will be here by tomorrow and all the other pieces are in place. You won't have to wait much longer."

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
20 August 1999 - 03:58 EDT**

Xander was pacing the length of Brooke's bedroom, trying to make sense of his dream. It was different. He was saved instead of dying. _ And that warning, I mean, what the hell? Am I completely losing my mind now?_ When he woke up on the floor he felt like he was being watched, as if he was still in the same line of fire he had been in in his dream. He had gotten up carefully, making sure he closed the shades, but the feeling didn't go away.

He heard the noise of a motorcycle disrupt the silence of the night, the sound growing louder until he heard the machine pull up in front of the house and the engine being shut off. Carefully, he approached the darkened window and slowly cracked open the shades just enough to look out. _ You can't be serious! _

* * *

"That's the house," Theo said, pointing at the mansion in front of them. 

"Are you sure?" Angel asked doubtfully.

Theo shrugged. "Itio said so, so it should be right."

Angel nodded. "Wait here. I'm not sure how well he's going to take seeing me. And it'll definitely take some explaining before he'll listen to you." Seeing Theo's nod, he started walking towards the entrance door, which, to his surprise, was already being opened when he got closer.

* * *

"Dead boy," Xander said from inside the house. "Got lost in the neighborhood? If you are looking for Buffy then I'm afraid you are looking in the wrong place. She definitely wouldn't be here." He couldn't help but have the feelings of bitterness come back to him with Angel's sudden appearance, and it was evident in his voice. 

Angel sighed. _ This will be tougher than I had hoped, and he is not going to like it one bit. _ He cleared his throat. "Actually, we've been looking for you, Xander. Can I come in so we can talk, it's important. You've stumbled upon a couple of things that are way over your head and I'm afraid you are in big trouble."

Xander laughed and shook his head. "Oh, I'm in trouble, alright. If you haven't noticed, things haven't been normal for years now, thanks to you and yours. Do you really think I would grant you access to someone's house? You gotta be kidding." His gaze moved past Angel and settled on Theo who was sitting on his bike by the curb. "And I see you brought a new friend. So, lost your soul again and came out to play with the bad boys?"

Angel starred at Xander, studying the teenager's face. "It's nothing like that, Xander. There's a lot going on that you don't know." He pulled a thick manila envelope out of his jacket and tossed it to the teenager. "Here, take a look at this and see for yourself. If you still think we are full of shit, then so be it. But if you want some answers and are willing to talk, call the number listed inside. One way or another, time is running out." Not waiting for an answer, Angel turned around and started to walk away. Halfway down the pathway, he looked back over his shoulder and saw that Xander was still starring at him. "And Xander, one piece of advice when you look at this stuff. Be open-minded. Because reality, as you know it, is a lie."

* * *

**Pier 3 of Tree Hill Harbor, Tree Hill, North Carolina  
20 August 1999 - 04:48 EDT**

Avery Miller looked up from his magazine in total surprise as he saw a small container ship appear out of the dark beyond the windows of his guard booth on pier 3 of Tree Hill Harbor. "What do these idiots think they are doing," he wondered aloud as he scrambled to pull out the daily expected traffic listing. The report showed no scheduled arrivals until the afternoon, and the harbor was closed for any arrivals until 7:00 a.m away.

The guard put on his hat and marched out into the night, flashlight in hand. "Hey, you," he yelled as he saw several men on deck of the ship approaching the pier. "You are not allowed to dock at night! Stay in the outer harbor until you are being guided in!"

No response was forthcoming from the crew as the ship continued its approach. Avery shook his head and headed back toward his guard booth to call in the incident when a couple of SUVs drove onto the pier and headed straight for his position. The vehicles came to a halt and several men stepped out, all casually dressed and wearing shades. "Hi, are you in charge here, sir?" one of them asked and smiled at Avery, who nodded in response.

"I am. And who are you? You can't be here; this dock is off-limits at night. Please return to your vehicles and leave," Avery said.

"Very well," the man said and grinned. With no warning, he bridged the 15 feet separating him from the guard in a mere split second, his form nothing more than a blur. Stopping right in front of Avery, the man put his hand on the guard's mouth. Where his fingers touched the skin the flesh and bones started to melt, fusing the lips and jaw together. Avery's eyes went wide in terror and pain, and he in vain tried to scream as nothing but a muffled sound escaped his throat. His attacker looked at him coldly. "This could have been quick and easy. But now I think I'm going to take my sweet ass time with you."

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
20 August 1999 – 05:19 EDT**

"What the fuck?" Xander cursed quietly as he flipped over the last page of the package he had gotten from Angel earlier in the night. _ What is all of this crap? I have a classified military file and have been under surveillance for God knows how many years? As has been my father? My father, of all people? What's there to observe other than a drunken asshole that beats his family whenever he feels like it? _ he thought bitterly, anger rising up in him when he thought of all the abuse he and his mother had to endure.

He looked at the handwritten note again that had come in the package. _Xander, this won't make much sense until you know the larger picture. If you want to understand what's going on, please call us. A-_

Xander looked around the room and saw that Brooke was still sleeping peacefully. On the nightstand next to her bed he saw a handheld phone and quietly moved over to pick it up. Walking into Brooke's bathroom, he dialed the number and was surprised that the line was picked up after the second ring already. "Xander?" he heard Angel's voice.

"Is this a joke, Angel?" Xander asked quietly, careful not to wake Brooke in the other room.

"I'm afraid not."

"Ok. Let's talk this evening. What time can you meet me?" Xander inquired.

"10pm. What's a good spot to pick you up? Something public, with people around while you wait?"

Xander pondered the question. "There is a restaurant called Karen's Café just off Main Street. I'll be there for dinner."

"That works," Angel agreed. "Theo will be there when we talk, and another one of us that you have not met yet. They know a lot more than even I could tell you."

"Ok. See you tonight."

"Yes, you will," Angel replied and hesitated slightly before continuing. "Xander, be careful today. There is a war going on out there. And it's not just being fought by my kind alone." With those words, he ended the call, leaving behind an even more confused Xander staring at the phone in this hand.

* * *

**Tree Hill, North Carolina  
20 August 1999 – 07:00 EDT**

Beep, beep, beep… The loud noise of the alarm attacked Brooke's senses, each beep intensifying the pounding headache she felt throbbing in her temples the moment she woke up. Groggily, she opened her eyes slightly, the light that was streaming into her room through the cracks in the shades hurting her eyes. Her sight quickly settled on her radio clock and she reached over to shut it off before closing her eyes again and resting her head on the pillow.

She heard a creaking noise nearby and forced herself to raise her head to investigate. Her gaze fell on a tall brunette teenager that had just risen from one of her chairs and was looking at her curiously. She shot up in bed and glared at him. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my room," Brooke asked, her voice sounding hoarse and her throat feeling parched. _ He looks familiar, _ she thought to herself.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Xander. I brought you home last night from the party," he explained, holding his hands out in a non-threatening gesture and taking a step back from her.

"Gee, thanks," Brooke replied sarcastically. "Listen, I'm sure we had fun, but you gotta go," she said, surprised by how harsh it sounded.

"No worries, I'm leaving. You asked me to stay last night, so I did. You seemed so, I don't know, lonely and hurt. I just wanted to make sure you are ok, Brooke."

Brooke was completely caught of guard by the words, but she shook her head and forced out a laugh. "I don't think so. That's not how it works around here. We have fun and then we're off to do our own thing. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are, I don't need anyone, and I sure as heck did not ask you to stick around either."

He looked at her quietly and nodded before heading to the door, a jacket and manila folder in hand. She thought she saw a deep sadness in his eyes, and it creeped her out. He opened the door slightly before stopping. Without turning to look at her, he spoke. "That's a lie, but I don't care. I promised to make sure you are safe, and I am glad you are ok. There is some aspirin and a glass of water on your nightstand. Hope you feel better. And for the record. Nothing happened between us last night. Others might use you like that, Brooke. But I wouldn't." Not waiting for an answer, he left the room and closed the door behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Author's notes: Yes, I am still alive and still working on this story. There's been a lot going on in my life and I took a long hiatus from writing, but I am glad that I am getting back into it. As always, questions, praise, criticism and any kind of feedback are most welcome.

**Karen's Home, Tree Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 07:25 EDT**

Xander arrived back at Karen's house and entered through the kitchen door, fully prepared to be yelled at for staying out all night. Lucas and his mom were sitting at the kitchen counter and Karen looked up from her cup of coffee and smiled at him. "There you are. Do you feel better? Lucas told me that you didn't sleep well and went for a walk this morning."

Lucas gave Xander a knowing look of _Don't blow this and get me in trouble_, and Xander cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah, thanks. Helped me clear my head a little."

Karen nodded and was about to say something when the phone rang. "This is Karen," she answered. "Sure, hold on a moment, Keith," she said with a smile and excused herself to the living room.

He watched her leave the room and, when she was gone, pulled out the manila envelope with his military file from under his jacket and set it down on the counter as he sat down on the stool next to Lucas. _Got lucky on that one, _he thought. "Hey Lucas, thanks for covering for me," he whispered.

"No problem. I'm just glad you came back on time before that lie blew up in my face. But I'm curious. Where the heck were you? And what's that," Lucas asked, pointing at the envelope.

Xander shook his head. "It's complicated. I don't think you'd understand." He laughed sadly. "I'm not even sure I do. But last night, after that party, I was reminded of a couple of things from home that I'm not very proud of. I had a…" he hesitated, struggling to find the proper word. _Yeah, what word would do Faith justice? Is there even such a thing? Crush? Yeah, big time, but too one-sided. Lover? I don't think she looked at it this way. Became quite clear when she kicked me out of the motel room in my underwear. Fellow ass-kicker? Hell yeah. But in the end, what really mattered was… _"…friend," he continued. "I wasn't there for her when she needed me most, and I will never get the chance to make that up to her. So when I realized that there was someone else last night that reminded me of her and that needed some help, I tried to do the right thing and take care of her."

"That friend you are talking about back home, is that the infamous Buffy?" Lucas prodded.

"No," Xander answered solemnly. "That's a whole different story."

"Unless you can tell it in under a minute I'm afraid we'll have to pick this up another time. I'm about to miss the bus," Lucas said after peeking at his watch. He got up and grabbed his backpack. "See you tonight at the café," he asked?

"You bet," Xander said and watched Lucas leave, his thoughts drifting back to the events of the previous night.

**Sunnydale College, Sunnydale, California  
****20 August 1999 – 11:39 PDT **

Willow was typing away on an email when a pop-up window opened on her screen, reading _QueenC requests a private chat with you._

"Cordelia!" Willow called out in surprise and accepted the invitation.

Willowisp: Hey Cordelia! How's life in Los Angeles?

QueenC: It's great. So much better than in Sunnydale. How are you?

Willowisp: I'm ok. Things are different now that people are gone. We haven't heard anything from Xander, and I hope he's ok. Have you by any chance heard from him?

QueenC: Well, I promised Angel I wouldn't say anything, but I think you should know. Don't freak out, but I think Xander is in trouble. It seems he pissed off some vampires in North Carolina and Angel flew there to meet with some other people to help him. And now I haven't heard from Angel in a few days, too, and I'm just not sure what's going on.

Willowisp: What? This is Xander we are talking about, how can he get in trouble with vampires? He doesn't have Buffy or me to back him up; he is all alone out there. He can't handle this kind of thing. Oh my God, what if something happened to him? Maybe that's why I can't find him with the locator spell. OMG!

QueenC: Willow, calm down. He's not alone. Angel and his friends are there, and I know they'll make sure he's alright. All I know is that Angel went to a place called Tree Hill in North Carolina. If you can't find Xander, then maybe you can find Angel?

Willowisp: Thanks, Cordelia. I'm sorry, I gotta go. I'll let you know if I find out anything.

Willow stared at the screen, the news sinking in. _Breathe, _she told herself, trying to calm down her quickly beating heart. _I think I'm going to be sick. This can't be true. _

Her gaze moved off the screen to the phone on her desk. She quickly grabbed it and dialed the number from memory. After a couple of beeps, the line was picked up. "Hey, Wills. What's going on," Buffy asked.

"We need to talk to Giles immediately. I just chatted with Cordelia and she told me that Xander is in big trouble and that Angel knew about it and then flew to North Carolina to try and help him and he also had some friends that were there and now Cordelia has not heard from Angel either and she doesn't know what's going on and she promised Angel not to tell anyone but now she did…

"WILLOW, CALM DOWN," Buffy shouted into the phone, trying to stop her rambling friend. "I'm sure he's ok. pause I somehow would know if he weren't. Let's meet at Giles' right now. I'll see you there, ok?"

"Ok, Buffy. See you in a few."

**Elegance of Lace Boutique, Tree Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 15:22 EDT**

Brooke watched herself in the mirror, critically evaluating the black bustier with purple lace she was trying on while Peyton was watching her, still wearing her normal clothes. After last night, Brooke needed a distraction, and shopping usually did the trick.

"So explain to me how this fixes your karma again," Peyton asked her friend.

"It doesn't but it's a total pick me up, don't you think?" As if to demonstrate her point about the bustier's "pick up" qualities, Brooke lifted her breasts, which elicited a laugh from Peyton.

"Now, try this on," Brooke said and handed Peyton a leopard print top. "Now the karma thing comes next. I figured out a master plan. If I can fix the damage I've done to certain people's love lives, maybe the universe will kick in and fix mine."

"Pretty long list," Peyton called out from inside the dressing room.

"Yeah, and Nathan and Haley are at the top of it. I screwed them over royally last night. Double karma points if I can undo that one." _And maybe I get a chance to apologize to Xander for being a bitch this morning, too, if I ever see him again. I don't remember anything about the guy, but somehow he seemed to know me. He was so, I don't know, sincere and genuine. Come to think of it, I still don't know how to handle that. I mean, he broke down my carefully constructed walls with only a few words. No bs, no nothing. Just cutting straight to the point. Do I reveal that much when I'm getting drunk? _Brooke pondered.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Peyton came out of the dressing room, sporting the leopard print top. Brooke clapped her hands excitedly. "Fabulous! You know not everybody can pull off the sceezy in the jungle vibe. Now I can fix you up, too."

Peyton laughed and shook her head. "No thanks. I am done with the drama of dating. I just wanna have fun."

"Then you'll be happy to know that I got us invited to a party at Duke tonight, Brooke announced.

Peyton grinned. "So much for you changing your ways."

Brooke gave her a look of pure innocence. "What? You promised to have fun, and I promised to indulge in boys, not booze. And now we have something to wear."

**Home of Rupert Giles, Sunnydale, California  
****20 August 1999 – 12:42 PDT **

The door burst open and Buffy stormed into the house. "GILES," she yelled. "WILLOW?"

Rupert Giles shot up from the couch where he had fallen asleep, causing several books to tumble to the ground. Disoriented and sleepy, he tried to compose himself as Buffy quickly entered the living room.

"Gee, Giles, you look terrible. Ever tried sleeping in a pajama instead of a tweed suit," Buffy asked when she saw her disheveled watcher.

"My goodness, Buffy. You almost gave me a heart attack. Did anything happen?"

Before Buffy could answer, Willow came running into the house, almost out of breath. "Oh good, you are here... I was worried you wouldn't make it in time… cause, you see I thought about it on the way over and I'm just panicked… Xander in trouble… I mean, what else is new, but…" she said in between gasps.

Giles, who had just put on his glasses took them off again and started to polish them. _Oh my. _"Willow, why don't you sit down and catch your breath. Would you like some tea? Or perhaps some water?" When Willow shook her head no, he asked, "What were you trying to say about Alexander? Did you hear from him? Or did your locator spell finally work?"

"No, Cordelia told me that Xander is in North Carolina and that Angel flew there to help him. I don't have a lot of details, but there are some vampires that he got into trouble with. But I don't know much more." Willow looked scared, and her eyes went back and forth between Giles and Buffy.

"We need to go there. We have to help him," Buffy declared, a look of resolve on her face.

"Ah, I don't think that's necessary," Giles said, sighing heavily before continuing. "I spoke with Alexander a couple of days ago, and he was quite alright."

There was a stunned silence as both Buffy and Willow let the news sink in. "Come again," Buffy said. "You've spoken to him and did not even mention it to us?" She took a few steps toward the watcher, her voice growing angrier with every word. "We've been worried sick about him and you have the nerve to keep this from us? How dare you?"

Giles looked Buffy straight in the eye and, not backing down, responded calmly, "I respected his wishes for privacy. And if you want to blame someone for that, you should start looking at yourselves first. Don't you think there is a reason he has not reached out to either of you? You can't treat a friend the way you've been treating him and expect everything to be alright."

Buffy backed up a few feet as she processed Giles' statement. Finally, she said quietly, "You are right. I can't change the past. But I can make sure it won't be this way in the future. I'm going to Tree Hill."

**Karen's Café, Tree Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 21:07 EDT**

Xander sat at the back corner table of Karen's Café, deep in thought and listlessly poking at the food on his plate. He had read the file Angel had given him several times, and with every additional detail he uncovered his confusion grew.

While it was clear to him that the documents he had were only parts of the full file, the extent of the information about him was impressive, ranging back all the way to his early teens. He saw transcripts of phone conversations he had, extensive medical records including tests he never remembered taking and that made no sense to him, and perhaps most alarmingly, detailed surveillance records of his activities with Giles, Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies. _If this is a hoax, then they did one mighty fine job of pulling it off. But if it's not, then the military, or the government, knows about vampires. And werewolves. And God knows what else. They know, and they aren't doing shit about it. And people die. Innocent people. Good people. Like Jesse. _

Xander put down his fork and pushed the plate away. He hadn't thought of his old friend for a while. _Funny how that works. I used to think about him every day. Can't even remember how many times I wished I didn't have to kill him. But I guess when you feel so guilty about something that you can't bear it you'll eventually find a way to cope, even if it happens subconsciously_.

His train of thought was interrupted when the bell above the door rang and he heard Haley call out "I'll be right with you" from inside the kitchen. He looked up and saw Angel, Theo and a small man of Asian descent entering the café. If he had been in a better mood he would have laughed at just how odd the trio looked. Angel was wearing black jeans, a dark sweater and a black woolen trench coat, looking clearly uncomfortable. Theo was dressed the same way Xander saw him a few nights ago. Black leather pants with heavy biker boots, heavy leather jacket, a black NY Yankees baseball hat, round mirrored sunglasses hiding his eyes and his face a stoic mask that showed no emotions. Xander's trained eyes noticed that both Angel and Theo seemed to be packing more than one gun. The Asian man, in contrast, looked like he raided a 70s second hand shop. His checkered khaki pants featured at least a dozen different shades of brown, red and yellow and were only outdone by his bright orange turtleneck sweater. They noticed Xander and walked over to his table.

"You are early," Xander noted dryly.

"There's no time to waste," Angel replied and looked around the café. It was fairly empty by this hour and the few remaining patrons sat far enough away to not be able to hear them if they kept their voices down. Xander motioned for them to take a seat and they sat down. Seeing the odd trio of vampires, he was glad that Karen had gone home early tonight. He saw Haley come out of the kitchen, eying them curiously from behind the counter. Xander sighed and walked over to her.

"Friends of yours," she asked him. Her voice was steady, but Xander could have sworn he saw some unease in her eyes.

"Just someone I know," he replied. "Listen, I know this whole thing might look strange to you, but I'll explain it to you soon. Just trust me, please. There won't be any trouble or anything here; we are just going to have a talk."

Haley looked at him and cleared her throat. "Ok, Xander. I won't say anything to Karen about this, but you better make that explanation a good one."

Xander nodded at her gratefully. "Thanks. I will."

He walked back to the table with the three vampires and sat down. When his eyes settled on Itio, he asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Itio. I collect things and uncover secrets that don't want to be found. At your service, Mr. Harris."

When Xander did not respond, Angel cleared his throat and said, "You must have some questions regarding the documents we gave you. I let Itio and Theo speak to that, but I wanted to let you know that there are things going on right now that you might not understand, and that the explanation will likely hurt you. I'm sorry for what you are about to discover, Xander. Things are not what you think they are, and I apologize for my part in the lie you've been caught up in."

Xander laughed bitterly. "How much worse can it get, Angel?" Not waiting for an answer to his question, he shifted his focus to Theo and Itio. Drumming his fingers on the file in front of him, he said, "What going on with this? The military or government is keeping a tab on me? Why? And what is Project Progeny?"

Itio glanced at Theo, who nodded ever so slightly, and then began to speak. "Mr. Harris, have you ever heard of Carly Johnson?" When Xander shook his head, he continued, "What about Jeffrey Malber? Or Brandon Turner?"

"Doesn't ring a bell," Xander admitted. "Should I know them?"

"You tell me. On January 18th, 1992, a 14-year old Carly Johnson started at an indoor track meet for her school in Plainfield, Indiana. According to the official time keeper, she ran the 100 meter sprint in 7.45 seconds, which is almost two and a half seconds faster than the current men's world record. Didn't make the news, though, did it? Jeffrey Malber, a 15-year old student of average capabilities, attended Columbine High School earlier this year when, during an extra-credit chemistry project, he developed a new form of plastic explosive that was twenty times stronger than any previously existing explosive of its kind. And then we have Brandon Turner, an 11-year old kid from Washington State who, six months ago, broke into seven of the highest security-level computers in the country, and he did so with a home computer and a program he had written in under one day. Interesting, isn't it?"

"I don't understand. What does that have to do with me" Xander asked calmly.

"Aha, what indeed," Itio exclaimed excitedly and clapped his hands. "What do they have to do with each other, let alone you," he asked. "That's what the United States Government and Military were wondering, too. After the first few of these types of incidents occurred in the late 80s, the NSA and FBI, along with a special team from NORAD, examined these cases to find a common link. And they did indeed find it. A link that runs all the way to you. It seems all of their fathers shared military duty in a Special Forces unit in Vietnam, a unit that was subjected to top secret medical research experiments. A unit that your father was a part of during his active service.

"My father," Xander asked surprised. _I know he served, but he never talked about it. _"What kind of medical research were they subjected to," he asked after the news had sunk in.

"Project Sandman evaluated the possibilities of removing the requirement for sleep from soldiers," Itio answered. "A novel concept, actually. If you never needed to sleep or rest, you'd be far superior to your enemy. They actually succeeded in their quest, but there were some unforeseen side effects and the project was eventually disbanded. The soldiers returned home to their family only to realize that they were having significant issues due to the drugs they had taken and no longer had access to. Most of them were sterile, their sperm no longer able to create children. And even though all of them began to suffer from severe bouts of exhaustion, they were still unable to sleep. The suicide rate among the group spiked significantly. Others utilized different means to try and be able to sleep, mostly turning to alcohol. All in all, members of the group only managed to produce a total of 24 children that were born after the return of their fathers from Vietnam. So far, twelve have suddenly started to display extraordinary abilities. The others are under constant surveillance to see when their time will come. You are one of them."

**A warehouse near Pier 3, Tree Hill Harbor, Tree Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 21:22 EDT**

The warehouse was brimming with activity as kindred and kine prepared a vast variety of vehicles for the drive to Washington, D.C. Crates full of heavy and automated weapons were opened and distributed to the waiting troops. From an elevated walkway in the middle of the warehouse, Archbishop Francisco Domingo de Polonia surveyed the activities, bellowing out orders and urging his commanders to step up the pace.

A vampire warlord walked up to Polonia and said, "Archbishop, the harbor is secured and safe. No resistance whatsoever. However, the pack that came through here a few days ago to clear the town is still missing, and we have no idea where they are. With your permission, I'd like to take my pack to verify the town is safe."

"It's a waste of time," Polonia said with a heavy Spanish accent. "But if it pleases you, go and check it out. We're moving in 3 hours. You better be back in time."

**Karen's Café, Tree Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 21:27 EDT**

"What happened to the ones they caught," Xander asked quietly.

"The military is using them for testing. Human guinea pigs. Their families and friends think they are dead. They will never reappear. The three cases I mentioned earlier disappeared shortly after the respective event and have been in custody since. Witnesses were silenced in a variety of ways, the most public being the staged school shooting at Columbine High School four months ago that was used to cover both the extraction of Mr. Malber, as well as the silencing of any witnesses."

Xander shook his head in disgust, still not sure if he should believe them. "And if that is all true, why wouldn't they just take me in right now," he challenged Itio.

Itio smiled. "You are wise to ask, Mr. Harris. They tried that with several of the remaining subjects. They never displayed any abilities out of the norm once in custody. The military thinks that something will trigger the development of the abilities, and that they can't interfere until that occurs or else they risk that it will never happen. But they are monitoring you all constantly through an implant in the back of your neck that you were given without your knowledge. It transmits your biometric data and position when activated." Itio reached into his pant pockets and brought out a small electronic device that looked like a remote control. He pressed a button and pointed it at Xander. A green light started flashing almost immediately. "And I am afraid to tell you that your chip is active. Which means that the military is likely nearby and watching."

_What the fuck, _Xander thought. _They've been watching us all this time, knowing EVERYTHING that's been going on, but they are just waiting to see if I turn into Superman before some vamps or other supernatural kills me? _"So, let me see if I got this right," Xander said after a brief moment of silence. "My choices are to either continue doing what I've been doing, with a good chance of not seeing my next birthday come around, or tap into some unknown superpower, in which case the military will try and catch me to lock me up for the rest of my life?" He studied the three vampires at the table, and when no answer was forthcoming, he said, "I take that as a yes."

"There's something else you need to know," Angel said, eyes downcast at the table in front of him. "Remember how Giles explained that I had a soul? That's a simplistic way of looking at it. We all have a soul, or humanity, or whatever you want to call it when we are turned. We were human, after all. But over time, we are in danger of losing parts of it, until there is nothing left but the beast inside of us. When that happens, we become what you'd like to think we all are – an evil monster that needs to be killed. The way we exist is a choice – we can try to hold on to what we have left inside of us, or we can embrace the thing we have become."

Angel looked at Xander, trying to judge the teen's reaction. Xander just stared at him, the face a stoic mask. "There is a war being waged out there right now between vampires that believe we should live hidden among humankind, in a way that minimizes the harm done to humans, and vampires that believe humans are nothing but cattle and that vampires should rule supreme over them. The violence you've seen on TV the past few weeks is all a part of it."

"Who's winning," Xander asked.

"So far, the other guys. We've lost all the territory south and southwest of here, and they are making the push up the coast as we speak. We had a few packs of vampires coming through this town the past couple of nights, and there is probably more coming."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because we can help each other," Theo said, speaking for the first time. "A quit pro quo, so to speak. We have the means to help you with your problem, if you are willing to help us with ours."

Before Theo could continue, Itio's beeper went off. Itio looked at the message and stood up, turning to go. "We have a pack sighting on the outskirts of town. We need to go."

"If you have people here you care about, you better make sure they get inside, Xander. It's not safe out there at night. We'll be back." With that, Theo and Angel got up and left the café.

**River Court, Tree Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 22:43 EDT**

Xander arrived at the River Court slightly out of breath. The run from Karen's Café had taken him a good 20 minutes, and he was convinced he briefly heard gunfire in the remote distance a few minutes ago.

Relieved to see the usual cast of characters in the middle of a pick up game, he scanned the area for signs of trouble as he slowed down and approached the benches where Mouth was watching the game.

_Looks calm for now, but how the hell do I get these guys to go home,_ he thought to himself.

Mouth noticed him and gave him a quick wave. "Hey, X-Man! Here to join the fun?"

"Nah," Xander replied and gave Mouth a fist pump. "Just wanted to make sure you guys were ok. There's been some gang fight nearby and shots were fire, and I heard a police officer say that people should stay inside while they were hunting down these guys. Sounded serious," Xander lied.

"Wow, really," Mouth asked nervously. When Xander nodded, he turned to the players on the court and said, "Hey, guys, you need to hear this!"

**Duke University Campus, Chapel Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 22:47 EDT**

_Please pick up _, Brooke thought. The phone was ringing, each beep seeming to last an eternity. She didn't know who else to call. He had always been kind of nice, and he seemed to like Peyton. _Come on _, she thought panicked.

She heard the call being picked up. "Lucas, Peyton's in trouble. Somebody drugged her drink and I can't wake her up." Desperation was evident in her voice and she was close to crying.

Lucas' mind was racing. This was clearly not the call he has expected. "Okay, Brooke. Slow down. Where are you?"

"We're on the steps of Chapman Hall," Brooke answered while looking down at her unconscious friend.

"Alright, call the campus police," Lucas suggested, unsure what else to do.

"I can't," Brooke replied. "She's been drinking!"

"Okay, I'll be right there," Lucas reassured her.

"We need to go, Peyton is in trouble," Lucas declared, running to grab his hoody sweater from the bench at the edge of the River Court before heading straight for Keith's tow truck, Xander on his tail.

"What happened," Xander asked as they climbed into the car.

"I'm not sure. Brooke said somebody drugged Peyton and she's not able to wake her up. She was next to tears. It sounded serious."

Xander looked over at Lucas, who was concentrating on the street while speeding through the night toward Duke University. "Brooke? As in Brooke Davis?"

"Yep. You know her," Lucas asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, I know her," Xander replied quietly. _Well, let's see how well this goes after last night. Then again. This isn't about her,_ Xander reminded himself. _It's about her friend, and if I can help, I will. _

Brooke was sitting on the steps outside Chapman Hall, Peyton's head resting against her leg. A young woman walked over to them. "Is your friend okay," she asked concerned.

Brooke looked up at her with teary eyes. "I don't know; she can't stay awake."

The woman crouched down to Peyton's level, speaking directly to her. "Do you know where you are? Do you know your name?"

Peyton opened her eyes temporarily and tried to speak. After a few seconds, she managed to mumble, "Just… dizzy." She closed her eyes again, drifting back to unconsciousness.

The Scott Body Shop truck pulled to a stop at the curb and Lucas and Xander jumped out of the car.

"Brooke," Lucas called out as they ran up the steps.

"Sorry, I didn't know who else to call," Brooke said sadly, her eyes wandering over to Xander. "Oh, hey," she said surprised and somewhat uncomfortable. _What is he doing with Lucas? _

"Hey, Brooke," Xander replied, giving her a comforting smile. "Is Peyton ok?"

The young woman examining Peyton looked up to them. "She's not drunk. I think he gave her a sedative. We just need to know what it was."

"Okay, Brooke. I need you to show me what room she was in." Lucas demanded. Brooke nodded and started to cry as the reality of the situation hit her.

"No, wait," Xander said, causing everybody to look at him. "I'll go, Luke. This could get ugly, and I don't want you to get in trouble. You stay here with Peyton and take care of her. We'll be back soon." When Lucas was about to protest, Xander took at step toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me; you don't want to be there. We'll find whoever drugged her and we'll get the answers we need."

The anger and seriousness came through in Xander's voice, and Lucas gave in. "Ok. But please hurry."

"We will. Brooke, can you please show me the way," Xander asked. Brooke looked at him and nodded. "Ok, let's go," he told her.

They walked silently and, after a couple of minutes, entered a busy dorm, the halls and common areas flooded with partying college students. Music was blasting and people were dancing and drinking everywhere. Brooke wordlessly led Xander through the crowds and stopped in front of a closed door in a hallway. "It's this one," Brooke said, the memory of her helpless friend on the bed with that freak bringing fresh tears to her eyes.

Xander clenched his fists and pounded on the door. "Hey, open the door," he yelled.

"Piss off," he heard a guy call out from inside the room.

"Piss off," Xander repeated incredulously. "You should have opened the door when you had the chance," he muttered under his breath and turned around to a guy leaning at a nearby wall, a drink in hand. "Is this your dorm," he asked him, to which the guy nodded in reply. "Go get your R.A.!" Not waiting for an answer he turned toward the door and kicked it open. The door was ripped from the frame and flew all the way across the bedroom, hitting the opposite wall and shattering into several pieces. Xander entered the room to see a darkly dressed guy jump off the bed in shock.

"What the fuck," the student cursed. "Who are you and what the hell do you want?"

"It's him," Brooke told Xander.

"What did you give her," Xander screamed at him as he moved threateningly toward the guy.

"Just fuck off, asshole," the student spat out and took a swing at Xander. Xander eyes widened and his adrenaline kicked in as he realized the movement for what it was. The quick feeling of panic gave way to comic relief as Xander watched the incoming swing almost in slow motion and easily sidestepped it, letting the fist go past his face before rushing into the guy and slamming him into the closest wall.

"Ouch," the student yelled as his back exploded with pain from the impact. "Look, it was nothing man. Just a roofie, that's it."

"Where are they?" When he got nothing but a defiant stare, Xander grabbed the guy by the shirt and shoved him into the wall again, hard. "Where are they," he repeated. The guy pointed to a small wooden box on a nearby dresser. Xander gave him a look of despise and moved over to retrieve the pills. When he had them, he walked back to the guy who was still leaning on the wall, trying to compose himself.

"You better pray that she'll be okay, because if she's not then I will come back for you. Trust me when I say that you really don't want that happen." With that, Xander turned around and looked at Brooke, who was standing by the door watching him intently. He gave her what he thought was a reassuring smile and started walking when he saw Brooke's gaze moving past him and her eyes growing wide. His brain registered a metallic clicking sound and he started to turn back around. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of light being reflected off of the blade of a jack knife that was coming right at him. _Holy shit, _Xander thought as he tried to use his turning momentum to get out of harm's way, shifting his weight to his outside foot at the same time his hands moved forward to intercept the arm wielding the weapon that was coming at him way too fast.

The four-inch blade missed its intended target but entered Xander's chest under the right ribcage. Xander felt the burning sensation as the metal slit through his tissue, but oddly felt very little pain. His attacker starred at him triumphantly with hate filled eyes as the knife entered the body all the way to the hilt.

**A military installation somewhere under Sunnydale, California  
****20 August 1999 – 20:25 PDT**

"Sir, biometric data for PP-7 just changed significantly. Wow. Delta levels surged past 20,000. I think he's waking up."

"Tell the team to stand by for possible extraction of the target. Almost time to bring him home, boys."

**Duke University Campus, Chapel Hill, North Carolina  
****20 August 1999 – 23:26 EDT**

Xander heard Brooke scream his name behind him, but it seemed distant and removed. His gaze was focused on the knife in his chest. Both of his hands enclosed the arm wielding the weapon, and he lifted his head to meet the stare of his attacker. Slowly, Xander started to push forward, his iron grip never wavering as the blade started to slide out of his body again.

"What the fuck," Gabe cursed as he tried with all his might to keep the knife in place. The grip of Xander's hands tightened further as he continued to push the knife out of his body and Gabe started to scream in pain. When the blade was fully out of his body, Xander quickly pushed Gabe's arm sideways, slamming it into the nearby dresser. The sound of several bones shattering was quickly followed by Gabe's howl of pain. Xander let go of Gabe's right arm and brought up his elbow in a circular swing, solidly connecting with Gabe's head. There was a crunching sound as the force of the blow knocked Gabe out, the body going limp and sinking to the floor. Xander looked down his chest and was surprised that there was relatively little blood staining his shirt and that, aside from a burning sensation, he felt little pain.

"Oh my God, Xander, are you ok" he heard Brooke ask from behind as she was rushing over to him.

He covered the wound with his left hand and slowly turned around to face her. "I think so. It doesn't really hurt much, which I guess is good." He looked at the ground and saw the pills he had dropped. He picked them up and looked back at Brooke who was looking at him, clearly concerned and freaked out. "Hey, Brooke. I'll be ok, alright? That goes for Peyton, as well. Let's get out of here, what do you say?"

Brooke nodded and helped Xander through the crowd.


End file.
